Police have arrested a woman at the centre of a violent robbery syndicate that terrorised Bulawayo for months, recovering cash and a getaway car after a high-speed chase through Mbundane.
Sekai Vumbunu, 45, an illegal money changer, is accused of acting as the “queenpin”, feeding intelligence to armed robbers about cash movements and transactions of their unsuspecting targets.
ZimNow was unable to establish if Sekai is connected to Elijah “Mupostori” Vumbunu who has been linked to major robbery cases including the US$4 million Ecobank heist and the How Mine12kg gold robbery.
Her arrest came after detectives nabbed accomplices Nehemiah Dladla, 38, and Simon Dube, 28, near Nketa Six Service Station. The two quickly implicated Vumbunu, leading to her capture. Police recovered USD 2,000 and the gang’s getaway vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner.
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The trio has been linked to at least four high-profile robberies in Bulawayo, including:
- 10 August 2025 – A restaurant robbery at Fife Street and 12th Avenue where USD 4,000 and ZAR 60,000 were stolen from a customer buying food.
- 3 September 2025 – A raid at Nkolozi Investments that netted USD 16,668 and ZAR 151,800.
- 3 October 2025 – A daring daylight hold-up along Leopold Takawira Avenue where USD 36,000 and a cellphone were snatched in minutes.
Police say Vumbunu’s role as a street forex dealer gave her privileged access to insider information, which she passed to her partners-in-crime, helping them time their attacks with precision.
ZRP spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi praised members of the public for supplying tip-offs that led to the breakthrough:
“We applaud citizens for coming forward with positive information. The ZRP will continue to hunt down all individuals involved in such crimes, and we encourage the public to report suspicious activities through our hotlines.”
The suspects remain in custody as detectives build cases linking them to more robberies across the city.
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