Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Mutare Bureau
A KOMBI crew and passengers combined to subdue an armed robber who had pounced on a teenager and was in the process of robbing her.
The teenager was on her way home from a church service in Mutare when she was attacked.
Acting Manicaland police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, confirmed the arrest of the suspect, Saymore Chikaya (19) of D188 Federation, Chikanga, for allegedly trying to rob the 16-year-old.
During the scuffle, as Chikaya tried to snatch her cellphone, the kombi driver stopped his vehicle.
He disembarked from the kombi and his conductor followed suit and they charged towards the crime scene.
Their passengers also left the kombi and ran towards the crime scene.
They managed to subdue Chikaya before handing him over to the police.
“On May 2, 2026, at around 10:35 pm, the complainant was walking towards home from the Apostolic Church Mission (AFM) Chikanga, Mutare, using a foot path.
“Upon reaching a bridge that connects her home and the church, the accused person emerged from a nearby bushy area wielding an iron axe in his hand and a catapult in the other hand.
“The complainant tried to run away but Chikaya caught up with her.
“The accused then raised his iron axe, threatened to strike complainant with it if she made any sound and ordered her to surrender all her valuables.
“The accused person forcibly took complainant’s Samsung A31 cellphone from her right hand and a scuffle ensued.”
He added:
“As the scuffle continued, a commuter omnibus Toyota Hiace, registration number AEG 0200 driven by Silas Mutseneki and loaded with passengers, approached the area.
“When the driver noticed the scuffle he stopped the vehicle.
“The conductor, Kudakwashe Bindi, with the help of other passengers, managed to apprehend the accused and recovered complainant’s Samsung A31 cellphone, an iron axe and a catapult.”
