Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku
Court Writer
THREE women, two of whom are sisters to the Vumbunu brothers implicated in the notorious US$4 million Ecobank heist, appeared before Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Mpoengseni Dube for a bail ruling.
Sekai Vumbunu, Georgina Vumbunu and Florence Chisiri appeared before Justice Dube on Thursday, seeking bail.
The court, however, dismissed their application.
In rejecting the bid, Justice Dube ruled that the trio played a central role in violent criminal activities that left victims traumatised and financially ruined.
“They were the masterminds in a series of serious armed robberies, which took place in the city and left the victims poor. In the eyes of the court, they are the ones who supplied information to armed robbers. As such, this informs us that they were working hand-in-hand with armed robbers to cause unnecessary suffering to victims,” said Justice Dube.
The judge said the act of supplying information to armed gangs demonstrated direct participation in the crimes and warranted them being treated as robbers in the eyes of the law. He added that they posed a danger to society.
“Some of the robberies were carried out in dangerous circumstances. As such, society needs to be protected from people like you, and your bail application is therefore dismissed,” Justice Dube said.
The trio was remanded in custody to January 14, 2026.
They are accused of playing a major role in a series of armed robberies and are allegedly part of a wider criminal network operating in and around Bulawayo.
The State, represented by prosecutor Ms Tarisai Mutarisi, alleges that the Vumbunu sisters and their accomplice were illegal foreign currency dealers. It is further alleged that Sekai Vumbunu at times used the name Edith Dube to conceal her identity.
The court heard that on October 12, 2025, the trio allegedly supplied information to Nekimiya Dladla (38) and Simon Dube (28), who are also suspects in the case.
Armed with guns, Dladla and Dube allegedly waylaid a woman, whose name has been withheld, as she was heading to Mossel House, a block of flats at the corner of 6th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street in Bulawayo.
They reportedly threatened to open fire before robbing her of US$1 630. The pair then searched the bedroom, where they allegedly stumbled upon US$23 160, which they took together with two wedding rings valued at US$1 050.
The suspects are linked to a string of armed robberies, including an attack on Nkolozi Investments, a bureau de change located at the CIPF Building in Bulawayo.
In that incident, robbers allegedly posed as clients before making off with US$18 000 and R151 000 during a daring early morning raid last month.
They are also accused of robbing a patron of US$4 000 and R60 000 during another incident at a restaurant at the corner of Fife Street and 12th Avenue on August 10, 2025.
Detectives from the Homicide Section carried out investigations that led to the arrest of Dladla, who later implicated Dube and the Vumbunu sisters.
The latest arrests have reignited public interest in the Vumbunu crime family, which gained national notoriety following the arrest of brothers Elijah and Abraham Vumbunu – dubbed the “terror twins” – for their alleged involvement in the US$4 million Ecobank heist in October 2024.
The brothers, who were raised in a polygamous household in Bulawayo’s Mzilikazi suburb, have long been associated with organised crime, ranging from carjacking to gold heists.
Sources close to investigations say their criminal history dates back to the mid 1990s and that several members of their extended family have been implicated in similar crimes.
The twins rose to prominence for their ruthlessness and their ability to evade law enforcement agencies. Their alleged high-profile crimes include the Mukuru money heist, the How Mine gold robbery and a string of violent home invasions.
Abraham, who had recently been released after serving a 14 year prison sentence, allegedly re-joined his brother in planning the Ecobank heist barely two weeks after his release.
The robbery, described as being executed with “movie style precision”, involved six armed men overpowering Safeguard security guards who were transporting cash before fleeing along 9th Avenue with trunks of money.
The brothers were later arrested in South Africa in a joint operation involving the police and their South African counterparts and are awaiting extradition.
