Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
THE notorious Vumbunu brothers, Abraham and Elijah Temayi Vumbunu, remain in custody in South Africa following their recent arrest in connection with the staggering US$4 million Ecobank robbery that occurred in October last year.
The extradition process is currently underway to bring them back to Zimbabwe to face justice.
National Police Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed.
“In terms of their extradition processes, it’s a work in progress.”
The brothers were apprehended on July 5, 2025, as police intensified their search for other suspects still at large.
The US$4 million robbery took place on October 3, 2024.
Elijah, alleged to be the ringleader, led a seemingly ordinary life, owning a trucking business and residing in affluent neighbourhoods.
Sources indicate that he owned multiple properties and had recently sold some to acquire a sprawling farm named Orange Farm in South Africa, where he was ultimately captured after a relentless manhunt.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Zimbabwe made a request for provisional custody to their South African counterparts, which facilitated the arrest of the suspects.
Reports suggest that the brothers had disposed of some of their properties to invest in farms and isolated properties.
Currently, the NPA is collaborating with South African authorities to identify the suspects’ properties and high-end vehicles acquired after the robbery.
The brothers also own a fleet of haulage trucks that operate in the region.
The Bulawayo heist is regarded as one of the largest bank robberies in Zimbabwe’s history, prompting Interpol to assist 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 stole a total of US$40 million in both Zimbabwean and US dollars.
In 2005, he was implicated in orchestrating a prison break at Chikurubi Maximum Security Prison, which houses serious offenders.
His younger brother, Takafa Vumbunu (alias Naison Mahembe), is currently on the run.
