Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
IN a gripping saga that could rival any crime thriller, the notorious Vumbunu brothers, Abraham and Elijah Temayi Vumbunu, who were arrested in South Africa last Saturday, lived a life of luxury fuelled by their criminal exploits.
The men stand at the centre of Zimbabwe’s most audacious heist — the staggering US$4 million Ecobank robbery that sent shockwaves through the nation last October.
Elijah, the alleged ringleader of the operation, was not your typical criminal.
He owned a trucking business and resided in affluent neighbourhoods, showcasing a lifestyle that many could only dream of.
Sources reveal he owned multiple properties, recently selling some to acquire a sprawling farm named Orange Farm in South Africa. It was there that he was finally caught, after a relentless manhunt that crossed borders.
A request for provisional custody made by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to their South African counterparts eventually led to the arrest of the suspects, who had disposed some of their properties to purchase farms and properties in isolated areas.
Presently, the NPA, working with their South African counterparts, is identifying properties of the suspects, who reportedly went on a spending spree after the audacious heist that left the nation stunned.
Efforts are currently underway for the suspects’ extradition to Zimbabwe and to identify some of the properties and top-of-the-range vehicles acquired in South Africa. The brothers also have a fleet of haulage trucks that ply the region.
Following the Bulawayo heist, which is considered one of the largest bank robberies in Zimbabwe’s history, Interpol was involved in tracking down the six suspects, including the Vumbunu brothers.
The robbers, who resided in South Africa, would only cross the Limpopo River when targeting significant heists.
Elijah had previously been released from prison on ZW$50 bail while appealing a 40-year sentence for a 2003 robbery in Mutare, where he and his gang made off with Zimbabwe and US dollars worth a total of US$40 million.
In 2005, he was implicated in orchestrating a prison break at Chikurubi Maximum Prison, home to serious offenders. Elijah and his younger brother, Takafa Vumbunu (alias Naison Mahembe), are both wanted by the police.
