Chronicle Editor
Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
ARMED robbers stormed a non-governmental organisation’s offices in Bulawayo and robbed the organisation of a car, cellphones, a laptop and a camera at gunpoint.
Hope for a Child in Christ (HOCIC), whose offices are in North End suburb, was robbed at about 8AM on Friday, according to sources.
The robbers allegedly assaulted a security guard before tying him up and thereafter proceeded to the offices where they again assaulted an employee they found in the offices after he failed to give them money.
The robbers, according to sources, also robbed the guard and the employee of their wallets which had personal documents, slashed tyres of the organisation’s vehicles that were parked at the offices before escaping in an HOCIC branded Ford Ranger.
“The armed robbers struck at around 8AM on Friday. They first assaulted a security guard before tying his hands while pointing a gun at him. They then entered the offices and headed to one of the employees in charge of logistics and demanded money from him. When they were told there was no money, they struck him with a hammer repeatedly,” said the source.
The gang then allegedly took away his laptop, wallet and cellphone. The source said the robbers then took keys and opened the store room where they stole a camera.
Thereafter they slashed tyres of three cars that were parked outside the offices before escaping in the Ford Ranger.
“The vehicle was later dumped in a bush in Mhlangeni suburb just a few kilometres away,” said the source.
One of the employees who came to the offices after the robbery found the two still tied up and reported the armed robbery to the police.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the robbery saying it was the third during the week.
Online Reporter