Two Harare men accused of taking part in a series of armed robberies have appeared in court after one was caught during a dramatic chase at a Ruwa company and the other was arrested at his home.
47-year-old Tinei Makaripe and 49-year-old Pungurai Mukambacha are facing three counts of armed robbery. The pair are accused of working with accomplices who remain at large in attacks on a service station, a business centre and a Chinese-owned manufacturing company.
The most serious incident allegedly took place on September 13 at Xinda Castings in Ruwa, where the gang is accused of stealing US$108,000. Only US$4,900 has so far been recovered, after police traced Mukambachaza to his residence.
Makaripe arrived at the Harare Magistrates’ Court with serious injuries after workers allegedly caught him as he tried to escape from Xinda Castings. He limped into the courtroom before other suspects carried him inside.
The State alleges that Makaripe, Mukambachaza and their accomplices planned the attack on Zhan Lingyue, a 24-year-old Chinese national who was at the company when the gang entered the premises.
The robbers allegedly carried pistols and gained access by scaling a precast wall. After entering the property, they went into a changing room and put on company work suits and helmets. The disguises allegedly allowed them to look like employees as they moved through the premises.
The gang then allegedly intercepted two workers who were returning from the toilet. The workers were forced to lead the suspects to the offices, where the robbers confronted Lingyue and demanded money.
The attackers allegedly ransacked the office before taking a satchel containing US$108,000. They then headed for the wall, using a metal ladder to climb out of the company grounds.
By that stage, other workers had been alerted. They chased the fleeing suspects and threw stones at them as they ran towards the perimeter wall.
Makaripe was allegedly behind the rest of the group when he was struck by a brick. He fell to the ground, giving the workers an opportunity to apprehend him. His alleged accomplices managed to escape from the scene.
Police investigations following the arrest are said to have led detectives to Mukambachaza’s home. Officers arrested him there and allegedly recovered US$4,900, a small portion of the money reported stolen from the Ruwa company.
The robbery at Xinda Castings forms the first of three cases placed before the court. The second count concerns an attempted break-in at Kurima Centre in Msasa on September 12, one day before the Ruwa attack.
According to the State’s case, the suspects arrived at the centre armed with a pistol, iron bars, machetes and a bolt cutter. They allegedly scaled the perimeter wall and moved towards the offices.
Two security guards, Saymore Mudziwepasi and Ibraham Milanzi, reportedly spotted the group and fired warning shots into the air in an attempt to stop them. The suspects allegedly continued into the business centre and broke into several offices.
The attempted robbery ended without the gang taking property. A Safeguard reaction team arrived at the scene, forcing the suspects to abandon the operation and flee.
The third count relates to an alleged robbery at Redan Service Station in Glaudina on June 22. The State alleges that Makaripe, Mukambachaza and their accomplices were armed with pistols and wearing balaclavas when they confronted two fuel attendants and a security guard.
The fuel attendants, Natasha Zvingana and Louis Mawere, allegedly handed over US$500. The suspects are also accused of taking Redan fuel coupons during the raid.
The gang allegedly searched security guard Tafara Chipandire and stole his Itel A90 mobile phone, a security panic baton and pepper spray. The items were allegedly taken as the robbers moved through the service station before making their escape.
The three charges describe a group that allegedly targeted businesses holding cash, entered premises by climbing walls and used firearms or other weapons to intimidate workers and guards. In the Ruwa attack, the suspects are accused of using company clothing and helmets to conceal their identities before forcing employees to guide them to the offices.
The case comes amid a series of armed robbery investigations in Zimbabwe involving groups accused of targeting commercial premises, mines and cash-handling businesses. In one recent incident in Mberengwa, six unidentified men allegedly stole 150 kilogrammes of gold carbon from a mine before abandoning their burning getaway car during a pursuit. The stolen material was recovered from the wreckage, although the suspects escaped into nearby bush.
Harare has also seen investigations involving alleged robbery syndicates accused of carrying out repeated attacks on shops, tuckshops, bars and other businesses. Police have in several cases relied on information from residents, closed-circuit television footage and property recovered during arrests to connect suspects to separate incidents.
The Ruwa case has already produced one arrest at the scene and a second arrest through follow-up investigations. It has also left a substantial gap between the amount allegedly stolen and the cash recovered. Police have recovered US$4,900, while US$103,100 of the reported US$108,000 remains unaccounted for.
Makaripe and Mukambachaza were remanded in custody until September 29. They were advised to apply for bail at the High Court. Makaripe has admitted one of the charges and may be dealt with separately when pleas are recorded.
The alleged accomplices who escaped from Xinda Castings have not yet been brought before the court. Investigations into the three incidents are continuing as detectives work to establish the movements of the group and trace the outstanding money.
For now, the courtroom case centres on the alleged sequence linking the June service station robbery, the failed September break-in at Kurima Centre and the high-value raid at Xinda Castings. The arrest of the two Harare men has given investigators a direct route into an alleged robbery network that, according to the charges, operated across the capital and nearby Ruwa.