Armed robbers raid Burnside house

Senior Reporter
FIVE men armed with a pistol reportedly raided a house in Burnside in Bulawayo and got away with cash, a gun and ammunition.
The incident, which occurred on Friday afternoon, has been confirmed by police spokesperson for Bulawayo, Inspector Mandlenkosi Moyo.
Sources close to the incident said the men posed as Zesa meter readers to gain entry into the house.
“They found two domestic workers. They then produced a pistol and bound the workers’ hands with masking tape before ransacking the house. They got away with some property that included a revolver, six rounds of ammunition, a gold ring, $200 and 4 000 Mozambican meticals,” said the source.

Insp Moyo said police had since launched a manhunt for the suspects.
He appealed to members of the public who might have information that could lead to the arrest of the men to contact their nearest police station or call the Bulawayo police hotline numbers (09) 885479, 881466, 77523 or 68721.

“Members of the public should be warned that anyone caught with an unlicenced firearm risks a lengthy prison sentence.
“We would like to warn residents, particularly in low density suburbs that armed robbers are on the prowl as indicated by the armed robbery incident that occurred in Burnside, Bulawayo recently,” he said.

The police spokesperson urged members of the public to report immediately anyone with an unlicenced firearm, saying such people posed a security danger.

He said people who legally held firearms should ensure that they carry them only for the purposes specified in their firearms certificates.
“Firearms are issued for various purposes and should that need cease, we direct firearm holders to immediately surrender them to the police,” he said.

Insp Moyo said residents could assist the police in protecting them from armed robbers by reporting suspicious characters in their areas.
“In most instances armed robbers will be motorised and we encourage people to take note of registration numbers of suspiciously moving or parked vehicles,” he said.

Insp Moyo advised businesspeople to enlist services of reputable security companies to carry large amounts of money to or from the banks.
“Where feasible, we encourage them to use the RTGS system. We discourage people from keeping large sums of money either at home or at their business premises,” said Insp Moyo.