Online Reporter
Peter Matika, Sunday News Reporter
POLICE in Bulawayo have arrested another suspected member of the notorious Vumbunu “criminal” family, following a brazen armed robbery attack on a suspected foreign currency dealer last Friday.
The latest arrest involves Sekai Vumbunu, a 45-year-old woman, who is alleged to have been part of a co-ordinated criminal operation that got away with US$36 000 from the victim, a suspected illegal foreign currency dealer.
Two additional suspects, Nehemiah Dladla (38) and Simon Dube (28), have also been implicated in the high-profile robbery that occurred at around 11am near a shop along Leopold Takawira Avenue, between Fort and Herbert Chitepo Streets in Bulawayo.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi revealed that the incident highlights the ongoing challenges of organised crime in the country, with such gangs demonstrating a sophisticated approach to targeted criminal activities.
“The suspects Nehemiah Dladla (38), Simon Dube (28) and Sekai Vumbunu (45) were arrested in connection with a spate of robbery cases which occurred in Bulawayo between 25 June and 3 October 2025. On 3 October at around 1200 hours, detectives from CID Homicide, Bulawayo received information which linked Nehemiah to a case of robbery which had just occurred at around 1100 hours near a shop along Leopold Takawira Avenue, between Fort Street and Herbert Chitepo Street, Bulawayo, where US$36 000 and a cellphone were stolen,” said Comm Nyathi.
He said detectives made a follow-up leading to the arrest of Dladla along an unnamed road in Mbundane suburb in Bulawayo, following a high-speed chase.
Comm Nyathi said, upon Dladla’s arrest, he then implicated one Solomon Dube, leading to his arrest near Nketa 6 Service Station in Bulawayo. The two suspects implicated Vumbunu, leading to her arrest.
“Investigations by the police established that Vumbunu, who is an illegal money changer, supplied information to the other suspects concerning the movement and cash transactions of their targets. The arrest led to the recovery of
US$2 000 and the suspects’ getaway car, a Toyota Fortuner,” said Comm Nyathi.
He said the three suspects are assisting police in clearing four other armed robbery incidents.
“. . . including a case of robbery which occurred on 10 August 2025 at a restaurant at the corner of Fife Street and 12th Avenue in Bulawayo, where US$4 000 and ZAR60 000 were stolen from the complainant who was buying food.
Another case of robbery which occurred on 3 September 2025 at Nkolozi Investments in Bulawayo, where US$16 668 and ZAR151 800 were stolen at gunpoint,” said Comm Nyathi.
Comm Nyathi applauded members of the public for providing information which led to the arrest of the suspects.
“Members of the public should continue supplying information regarding criminal activities nationwide on the national complaints desk number (0242) 703631 or WhatsApp 0712 800 197 or report at any nearest Police Station,” he said.
Following the dramatic arrest of the Vumbunu brothers, Abraham and Elijah Temayi, in South Africa a few months ago, reignited public interest in the sensational US$4 million Ecobank heist that shocked Bulawayo last year and left the nation reeling.
Their capture, a result of joint efforts between the South African Police Services (SAPS) and the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), was hailed as a major breakthrough in a case many feared had gone cold.
The brothers were nicknamed the terror twins for their alleged participation in criminal activity.
Hailing from Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo, the Vumbunu brothers were born into a complex family setup, which is a religious and polygamous household.
Despite their shared surname and sibling bond, they are technically half-brothers, born to sisters married to the same man.
Their bond, however, has always been tight. They were raised together and are regarded as twins within their family and community.
Police say their descent into crime began in the mid-1990s, with at least four members of their family allegedly involved in various illicit activities ranging from petty theft and drug peddling to carjacking and armed robbery.
Over the years, Abraham and Elijah rose to notoriety for being ruthless, cunning, and able to evade law enforcement.
Police sources said the Vumbunu brothers’ involvement in organised crime is not a new phenomenon.
“We have been monitoring the Vumbunu brothers’ activities for some time now, and their involvement in the US$4 million heist comes as no surprise. Their brazen tactics and ability to evade capture have made them a thorn in our side, but we are determined to bring them to justice,” said the source.
According to police, Abraham had just been released from serving a 14-year prison sentence when he allegedly re-joined his brother and their network to plan the high-stakes Ecobank robbery, barely two weeks after his release.
The heist, which took place on 3 October last year, was carried out with movie-style precision. Witnesses recall a scene straight out of an action movie.
Witnesses said the six robbers, all armed, overpowered Safeguard security personnel, who were transporting cash, seizing several trunks and sped off along 9th Avenue in a well-coordinated getaway.
The Vumbunu brothers are also suspected to be connected to several other high-profile crimes, including the Mukuru money heist, the How Mine gold robbery, which ended in a dramatic shootout and a series of carjacking and home invasions in Bulawayo and beyond.
Their involvement in these cases, according to police, points to an intricate web of organised crime that has operated across borders and eluded justice for years.
The brothers were arrested in a high-stakes operation in South Africa and await extradition.
The Vumbunu brothers’ alleged involvement in the US$4 million heist is just the latest in a string of high-profile crimes that have plagued the country.
The Vumbunu brothers have come to personify the growing threat of organised crime in the country.
Their arrest may be a step in the right direction, but it also exposes the urgent need for robust intelligence-sharing, quicker prosecutions and tighter cross-border collaboration.
As the legal wheels turn and Zimbabwe awaits their return to face justice, many are asking the same question: What else are the Terror Twins hiding and who else is involved?
Colletta Dube