Villagers thwart armed robbery attempt

Zim Now Writer

Villagers in Plumtree thwarted an armed robbery attempt by assisting a shopkeeper at Kweneng Business Centre on Tuesday after a man posing as a customer tried to rob her.

Matabeleland South provincial police spokesperson Inspector Loveness Mangena confirmed the incident, adding that the incident was not linked to the recent case of school children who were shot in Empandeni.

“This person arrived at 8pm. He took out a US$1 note saying he was hungry and wanted to buy a soft drink. The complainant went to open the shop, and he tried to push her inside, sensing danger the woman screamed attracting three people who were still outside the shops,” said Insp. Mangena.

“When interrogated, the suspect said he only wanted to buy a drink, he immediately left only to come back 40 minutes later and fired two shots in the direction of people who were still there, they ran away and hid in one of the homesteads close by. They locked themselves inside a house and he damaged four window panels,” said Inspector Mangena.

The victim’s husband, Thakazelani Tshuma, said he was away when his wife was almost robbed.

“She told me that they had already closed when this man came intending to buy a drink, she said she told him to go to the window while she went the other side to open the door, but the man followed her and tried to push her inside the shop, thus when the commotion started as she tried to push him away,” Tshuma said.

“My wife screamed, attracting the attention of the people who were still at the nearby bar, they came running armed with stones trying to find out what was going on.”

Tshuma said the suspect denied all the allegations against him and claimed that the villagers wanted to assault him for no reason.

“After trying to find out what was happening and him denying it, I took my wife home, only to be told by other villagers that the suspect was armed and he later came back and fired shots at them,” said Tshuma.

Inspector Mangena urged business owners to observe operating times and not entertain people who come after hours as they risk being attacked.