Seven suspected robbers apprehended in Gokwe

Ephraim Munhuwei

Seven suspects have been apprehended after committing a broad daylight robbery of an 18-year-old man. The incident took place on 4 November 2023 at 1000 hours at Mapfumo 1 Business Centre in the Chief Njelele area of Gokwe.

On that day, the complainant, 18-year-old Delta Ndlovu, was at the business center when the suspects arrived in a white Honda Fit with the registration number AFB 3811.

One of the suspects held a knife and tripped the complainant to the ground, after which they jointly searched him and took away US$50 before fleeing.

A report was filed at ZRP Gokwe, leading to the subsequent apprehension of the suspects. Police also recovered two knives, a hammer, a catapult, and a chisel from the vehicle used by the suspects.

The apprehended suspects include Chipo Mugwati (24), Panashe Mzizi (21), Joseph Nyambo (19), Previous Mapondo (23), Leonard Mapondo (23), Mulungisi Konde (32), and Zebro Dube (25). They are currently in police custody as investigations continue.

Inspector Emanuel Mahoko, Midlands Province Police Spokesperson, confirmed the suspects’ apprehension and commended the public for providing valuable information that led to their capture.

Mulungisi Konde, the owner of the vehicle used in the robbery, and Zebro Dube did not attempt to flee when the police arrived.

Mulungisi sustained injuries from a dog attack after joking with his colleagues that the police did not have dogs. He suffered bites to his head before managing to grab the dog’s mouth and tear it open with his hands. The police had left behind a young dog that was still in training.

Chief Misheck Njelele expressed gratitude to the community members for assisting the police in apprehending the suspects, condemning their shameful actions as being inconsistent with African traditions.

“I would like to commend the members of the community who collaborated with the police to apprehend the suspects responsible for these shameful acts in our community. Their behavior is contrary to our African traditions. I am disheartened by such actions becoming prevalent and seemingly uncontrollable in our community. However, we are grateful for the hard work of the Zimbabwean police in protecting the nation,” said Chief Njelele.