Chronicle Editor
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE police have dismissed as fake the list of six men circulating on social media alleged to be suspects in the US$4,4 million heist that took place in Bulawayo two weeks back.
On Thursday, a list of suspects which was believed to have been released by the police began circulating on social media.
The list included some of the most wanted criminals with some already deceased and these were Elijah Vumbunu alias Mupositori, David Sawadye, Israel Zulu, Kudakwashe Mudzingwa alias Umbro, Takafa Vumbunu alias Naison Mahembe, Paul Chinake and Brian Murape.
However, Police National Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi has dismissed the list of suspects saying the police have yet to issue an official statement with regards to the suspects.
“As police, we have not made an official announcement of the suspects. We want to emphasise that we have not stated the suspects. Whoever is dishing out names, or giving out names is communicating information that is not officially from the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
“This is the correct position. We also want to find out the agenda of the people who are circulating these names. We will issue the names at the appropriate time once we have had a proper position,” said Comm Nyathi.
Sunday News is reliably informed that from the six men list that was being circulated, David Sawadye and Israel Zulu died in 2022.
According to sources close to the investigations, Israel Zulu was part of a 13-member gang that raided a cash-in-transit vehicle transporting nearly 12kg of gold from How Mine to Fidelity Printers and Refiners in October 2022.
Zulu is reported to have been fatally shot by the How Mine Chief Security Officer, in a contact leading to his death across the border in South Africa.
On the other hand, David Sawadye according to police sources died in a shootout with detectives in Harare last year.
However, sources revealed that Elijah Vumbunu is the prime suspect with the modus operandi of the Ecobank heist highly linked with that of Vumbunu and his gang.
Six years ago, Elijah was released from prison on ZW$50 bail pending his appeal against conviction and a 40-year sentence after he and his gang had stormed Mutare Parts in September 2003 and got away with Zimbabwe and United States dollars, collectively valued at $40 million.
In 2005, Vumbunu helped to mastermind a prison break at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, where he was confined to the C Hall, which houses rapists, murderers and armed robbers — people convicted of third schedule offences.
Elijah Vumbunu and his younger brother, Takafa Vumbunu alias Naison Mahembe are both wanted by the police.
They grew up in Mzilikazi, Bulawayo, as off-springs of very religious but polygamous parentage. From the mid-90s, four members of the Vumbunu family allegedly engaged in all forms of criminal activities including theft, carjacking, stealing from motor vehicles before eventually up scaling their activities to include armed robberies.
Nehemiah Temai Vumbunu is the oldest of this brood of criminal minds and is believed to have stolen thousands of dollars’ worth of cars and property during a crime spree that ended when he was shot along with his suspected armed robbery accomplice, Jabulani Quinton Sibanda.
Before he died seven years ago, the older Vumbunu roped in his younger siblings Elijah, Abraham and Takafa, and the trio continued to pull heists well after the death of their mentor.
All three have served time at one point or the other with the duo of Elijah and Abraham now wanted for the alleged role in the 2022 How Mine robbery during which they got away with 11,9 kilograms of gold and four guns.
Without having been granted bail, Elijah Vumbunu was only due to be released in 2026 after completing his jail term.
Elijah’s sibling, Abraham was also recently released from prison where he was serving time for armed robbery. This publication could not establish why or when he was arrested and the reason for his imprisonment.
The third brother, Takafa/Naison was convicted and sentenced to 62-years after he was arrested in August of 2015 and was convicted of eight counts of armed robbery and contravening the Firearms and Explosives Act in 2017 along with 11 other members of the gang.
Online Reporter