Vusumuzi Dube
Bmetro Reporter
BULAWAYO’s streets are safer tonight after a violent criminal gang responsible for the cold-blooded murder of a police officer and a terrifying spree of armed robberies was finally brought down in a dramatic police operation.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest of three suspects—Mandlenkosi Albert Munangati (26), Clifford Desmond Nare (33), and Thabo Dube (24)—while two others, Sipho Ncube (24) and Dumisani Ndlovu (32), died in a fierce shootout with detectives.
The nightmare began in the early hours of 28 March when Sergeant Abel Masava was gunned down in Sizinda. But the killers’ reign of terror stretched back nearly a year, with the gang linked to 25 brutal robberies targeting petrol stations, supermarkets, liquor stores, and even funeral parlours. Their stolen haul included thousands in cash, mobile phones, and a terrifying arsenal of weapons—five firearms, including a Browning pistol, a shotgun, and even a sword.
The breakthrough came when detectives traced a Honda Fit (AGG 8380) tied to the cop’s murder. Munangati was arrested first, then squealed on his accomplices. But as cops closed in, Ncube and Ndlovu opened fire along Harrow Street in Saucertown, sparking a blistering gun battle. Both were later pronounced dead at United Bulawayo Hospitals.
Among their most brazen heists was a December 2024 supermarket raid in New Luveve and a February 2025 funeral parlour robbery where they swiped over US$3 600 and R21 130. In March, they stormed a service station, making off with yet another shotgun.
Comm Nyathi praised the public for tipping off the force, urging more whistle-blowers to come forward. “There’s no going back in crushing these robbery syndicates,” he vowed. “The law will run its course—no mercy.”
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