Robbers pounce on Mutare businessman

Abel Zhakata

Senior Reporter

ARMED robbers last Thursday raided Mutare businessman’s Zimunya home and made good their escape with an undisclosed sum of money after blowing a safe with dynamites.

Police later arrested one of the suspected robbers at a roadblock along Mutare-Vumba Road after the vehicle he was driving matched the one which was spotted at the crime scene.

Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luxson Chananda, confirmed the robbery which occurred at Mr Howard Mangoyana’s homestead.

Mr Mangoyana owns several shops in and around Mutare.

Insp Chananda said the robbers pounced at around 8pm after scaling a security wall at Mr Mangoyana’s homestead.

“Mr Mangoyana’s son, Tinashe was seated in the kitchen hut outside the main house waiting for the security guard to report for duty when the robbers pounced. Tinashe heard their dogs barking and thought that the security guard had arrived to commence his duties. He later saw the four armed robbers jumping over the security wall.

“One of the robbers who was armed with a pistol attacked Tinashe. He ordered him to lead them to the main house,” said Insp Chananda.

Two of the suspects entered the lounge where 11 children were watching television.

“One of the suspects was left guarding the children, while another one proceeded to Mr Mangoyana’s first wife, Ms Patience Gonyi’s bedroom. Ms Gonyi wrestled with the robber who was holding a log, but she, however, stopped after realising that he also had a pistol. The robber demanded to be shown where the businessman kept his money. The robber was directed to a safe which was in the lounge,” said Insp Chananda.

The robbers asked for match sticks, but there was none in the house which led to one of the suspects to take a burning log from the kitchen hut.

The robbers blasted the safe with dynamites and took R15 000, a Mossberg rifle, a Star pistol and 48 rounds of ammunition.

They also took an undisclosed sum of money which was in Mr Mangoyana’s second wife, Ms Brenda Chiripamberi’s bedroom.

The robbers fired two shots and disappeared into the darkness.

Detectives attended the scene and found a green detonator fuse which was left in the lounge.

They also recovered one spent cartridge near the main door.

Some hours later, police arrested a suspect at the Inn on the Vumba roadblock after the vehicle he was driving matched details of a car that had been spotted at the crime scene.