Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry’s Parents robbed o...

Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry’s Parents robbed of US$90K in Cash and Valuables

Gilbert Munetsi – Zim Now Writer

Sports Minister Kirsty Coventry’s parents – Edwin and Lyn - last Monday became the latest high profile personalities to be targeted by armed robbers who pounced on them at their Glen Lorne home and made off with cash and valuables worth approximately US$90,000.

Police were yet to issue an official statement at the time of going to press, but sources indicate that two armed robbers forced their way into the Coventry residence.

Wielding unidentified weapons, they subdued the elderly couple, tying their legs with shoelaces before ransacking the house. The assailants managed to steal US$15,000 in cash, jewellery valued at US$60,000, three hair dryers, hearing aids worth US$5,000, travel bags, and three hunting firearms.

Additionally, they took off with Kirsty Coventry’s Olympic memorabilia.

And this is not the first time the Coventry family has been targeted. In 2013, robbers attacked Kirsty Coventry herself as she was returning from the airport, making off with US$5,000.

One of the robbers, Malvin Mushonga, was apprehended at the scene and sentenced to four years in prison, with part of the sentence suspended on the condition of restitution.

Among the stolen goods then were an Apple laptop, an iPhone 4, a jacket, reading glasses, shoes, electrical cables, and chargers—all valued at US$5,600. Unfortunately, nothing was recovered.

The Coventrys join a growing list of high-profile individuals who have fallen victim to home invasions in Harare. In recent years, prominent businesspeople, politicians, and public figures have been targeted by increasingly brazen criminals.

In 2021, business tycoon Kudakwashe Tagwirei’s residence was broken into by armed robbers who made off with large sums of cash and valuables. Similarly, in 2022, former cabinet minister Ignatius Chombo was attacked at his home, with robbers assaulting him before fleeing with cash and luxury items.

According to police statistics, home invasions by armed robbers have seen a sharp rise in Harare. Between 2022 and 2023, there was a reported 35% increase in armed robbery cases, with many incidents involving well-orchestrated break-ins targeting affluent suburbs such as Borrowdale, Glen Lorne, and Mount Pleasant.

Law enforcement authorities have attributed the rise to economic hardships and the increasing sophistication of criminal syndicates.