07 January 2022
Lindie Dube
Armed robbery cases have been on the increase lately in most parts of Zimbabwe, this has left members of the public in fear and unsettled.
The ZRP warns the public against keeping large sums of cash in their homes, business premises and on their person.
It was reported that on the 27th of December, a Harare business man lost USD45 000 to cash robbers after he was attacked by unknown suspects who were armed with an unidentified pistol at the intersection of Glenara and Chiremba Roads in Braeside.
The suspects stopped the victim who was driving a Discovery Vehicle at the traffic lights and pointed a firearm before dragging him out of the vehicle and snatched a box with the cash which was on the passenger seat.
This armed robbery and murder was not too far from the Chadcombe house of Joseph Nemaisa, a retired police detective who shot and killed three armed would be robbers robbers who had besieged his family, among them two soldiers, earlier in the same month of December.
Nemaisa’s family was held hostage when he shot three dead through a window, while two others escaped and were later arrested.
In a similar incident a trio who were armed with unidentified firearms attacked in a foiled robbery incident resulting in a shootout with the complainant. The complainants daughter (10 months) was shot on the chest and died on the spot while the wife was shot on the breast and is currently admitted at a local hospital.
Police recovered a Star CZ pistol from the suspects and a Toyota Fortuner vehicle stolen through means of robbery in Murewa.
Guns used to be one of the mosted feared weapons, rarely would people hear of robbers carrying around guns but that now is a norm.
In the past these kind of robberies would be witnessed in other countries mostly in South Africa.
The use of guns has become the daily bread thus people need to be more careful and on the look out for such perpetrators.
What is more worrisome is that some of the offenses are being committed by serving or retired members of our security forces.
Who will guard the guard?