Several gunshots rang out in central Bulawayo shortly after 6pm on Saturday as police officers pursued a suspected drug dealer through busy streets near Watering Hole.
The dramatic chase began between 8th and 9th Avenue along George Silundika Street, where witnesses said officers tried to stop a dark-blue Honda Fit with tinted windows. The vehicle was being driven by a man identified by the alias “Allo”, who is known in the city for alleged drug dealing.
Witnesses said police fired several shots towards the vehicle’s wheels as the driver attempted to escape. The gunfire sent people running for safety as the pursuit unfolded in an area that is normally crowded with pedestrians, motorists and evening revellers.
The driver reportedly reversed the Honda Fit into a crowd of onlookers before manoeuvring away and speeding off. Police officers then chased the vehicle on foot and in several police vehicles, turning the busy section of the Central Business District into the scene of a fast-moving operation.
Some officers carrying AK-47 rifles were seen running after the Honda Fit. Two of them were later picked up by an unidentified gold-coloured Toyota, which joined the pursuit as the fleeing car moved away from the original scene.
The chase continued towards 11th Avenue. Witnesses last saw the dark-blue Honda Fit being followed closely by a white police Toyota Defender, two Honda Fits and the gold-coloured vehicle. It was not immediately clear whether the Honda Fits were police vehicles or private cars that had joined the pursuit.
One witness, who asked not to be named, said the sound of gunfire caused panic among people in the area but that the officers appeared to be trying to avoid hitting members of the public.
“We were terrified when the bullets rang out. People were scattering everywhere. No fatalities occurred and no one was injured. We hope he gets caught. He has been poisoning the public and our children for a while now,” the witness said.
Residents have linked “Allo” to the distribution of several substances, including Bronco cough syrup, marijuana commonly known as mbanje, and Xanax. His name has become familiar in some neighbourhoods because of claims that drugs are being supplied to young people.
The reported pursuit comes at a time of increased police activity against drug networks in Bulawayo. Earlier this month, detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department’s Drugs and Narcotics Unit raided a house in Newton West after receiving information about suspected drug dealing.
During that operation, officers recovered about 30 kilogrammes of dagga, including 36 cobs, as well as hundreds of bottles of BronCleer cough syrup. The seizure consisted of 58 boxes, each containing 50 100ml bottles, together with another 447 loose 100ml bottles. The combined street value was put at US$26,429.
The suspects at the Newton West property escaped after driving into the yard, locking the gate and abandoning a white Honda Vezel. They then jumped over a perimeter wall and ran into nearby bush. The vehicle, registered AHG 5315, was impounded as detectives continued searching for those who fled.
Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, the Bulawayo police spokesperson, said the operation began after information was received from members of the public.
“On the 2nd of August 2026 at around 0400 hours, detectives from CID Drugs and Narcotics Bulawayo received information that there were persons dealing in dangerous drugs at a house in Newton West, Bulawayo,” she said.
In a separate operation the previous day, detectives arrested Annet Sebele, 38, and Fortune Tshabalala, 42, in connection with another suspected drug-supply operation. Officers recovered four cobs of dagga weighing about 1.8 kilogrammes, along with empty sachets that suggested the drug was being prepared for distribution. The dagga was valued at ZiG28,000.
Rutanhira, 52, was shot outside his business at about 11pm on 14 September after closing his shop. The attack took place near a service station along Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo Street, between Third and Fourth Avenue. Police said the attackers escaped with a bag containing US$10,000.
The killing prompted a wider operation against robbery networks. National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said: “The suspects are linked to 10 cases of armed robbery in Bulawayo and surrounding areas.”
The latest CBD chase also follows the introduction of a city surveillance project intended to help police monitor criminal activity and track vehicles used in offences. The Smart City Surveillance System was launched in October 2024 through a partnership involving the police, business groups and churches. The project included CCTV monitoring and a control centre designed to improve the police response in the CBD.
At the launch, Nyathi said: “I want to assure not only the people of Bulawayo but also anyone visiting the Bulawayo CBD that any form of criminality or misdemeanor will now be actively monitored from the control centre, and the police will respond.”
He added: “This includes tracking vehicles involved in criminal activities or causing chaos. We call upon all stakeholders, including the media, to inform the people of Zimbabwe that Bulawayo’s CBD is now a no-go area for criminal acts.”
Saturday’s pursuit will place renewed attention on the safety of police operations in crowded parts of the city, particularly when firearms are used and vehicles attempt to escape through busy streets. The reported manoeuvre into a crowd, followed by shots directed at the car’s wheels, left witnesses trying to work out which way to run as officers moved after the vehicle.
By the time the Honda Fit disappeared towards 11th Avenue, no arrest had been confirmed. Police had also not issued a public statement about the shooting, the identity of “Allo”, the number of rounds fired or whether the vehicle was later recovered.
The circumstances of the pursuit, including whether anyone was injured, whether the car sustained damage and whether the suspect was eventually located, remained subject to official confirmation at the time of publication. Police investigations were expected to focus on the route taken by the Honda Fit, the vehicles involved in the chase and information from people who witnessed the incident in the CBD.