Innocent S. Ncube
Prominance S. Khumalo
Police Detail Disturbing Methods as Juvenile Ringleader Confesses
BULAWAYO – A months-long wave of terror in Nkulumane suburb, which saw 27 homes violently breached and robbed between October 2025 and January 2026, has been shattered with the arrest of a most unlikely group of suspects: a gang of 15 children, led by a 14-year-old boy.
For weeks, detectives from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Nkulumane pursued dead-end leads, as the brazen break-ins continued unabated.
The breakthrough came not from forensic evidence, but from a tip-off by a concerned member of the public, redirecting the investigation toward a shocking truth.
“The mastermind wasn’t a seasoned criminal. He was a child,” revealed Detective Inspector Stanley Muwuya, Officer-in-Charge of CID Nkulumane, close to the investigation.
The ringleader, a teenager identified only as ‘Farai’ to protect his identity, led a group that operated with chilling precision.
In an interview at the police station, the juvenile ringleader laid bare the gang’s methods.
“Farai was to tell the police that he also used an axe, brick and an iron bar to break into the houses,” said Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, ZRP Spokesperson for Bulawayo Metropolitan Province.
Their tactics showcased a blend of crude force and unsettling ingenuity. One method involved pouring cooking oil into door hinges to silence them before removing screws. When asked who taught him this, another young suspect was evasive.
Their operations were coordinated, with lookouts posted while others ransacked homes in broad daylight.
The fallout from the crimes tore through the community’s social fabric. Baba Howard Ngwenya, the area’s residents’ chairman, was personally affected.
“My own granddaughter got entangled in the saga,” he confirmed, expressing the profound breach of trust felt by many.
“She received stolen cash and used it to purchase a new cellphone.”
The stolen goods, often sold for a pittance, ensnared others. Junior Gumbo explained how he was arrested after buying two stolen cellphones and a SIM card. In a stark example of the crimes’ trivial proceeds, one child sold five kilograms of stolen chicken for just one US dollar.
For parents, the revelation was devastating. The mother of one suspect, ‘Farai’, was summoned to the police station.
“I deny any knowledge of my son’s activities. I only came to hear of the whole saga when Farai was been arrested,”
She went on to mention that most of the time she does not stay with her son, who during school days, will reside at an uncle’s house.
Detective Inspector Stanley Muwuya, Officer-in-Charge of CID Nkulumane, presented the detailed chronology of the crimes to reporters, outlining the scope of the juvenile-led operation.
Property and cash amounting to US$10 000 was stolen during the period in question.
In closing, Inspector Msebele issued a stern reminder to the public.
“We encourage the citizenry to be vigilant as well as try and track their children’s whereabouts when they play,” she urged, highlighting the role of community and parental oversight in preventing such incidents.
“Don’t leave huge amounts of money in easy to find places in your homes. It would be better that you keep your money in a bank.”
The case is still being investigated as there are more members of the gang that are still at large.
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