Family of ZB US$2,7m mastermind Njowa arrested

Harare police have arrested the family of Shadreck Njowa, the mastermind behind the ZB Bank US$2,7 million and $43 000 heist which occurred in January last year at Gwebi River Bridge along the Harare-Chirundu Road.

Njowa’s wife and his three sons face charges of harbouring a criminal.

Sources close to the investigations said the charges emanate from the family having been concealing, providing shelter and food to Njowa, although they knew that he was on the police wanted list.

Njowa was reportedly living fully indoors at the Highfield hideout before he was busted.

The four family members will appear in court soon as they are still assisting police with investigations.

Njowa had been on the run for nearly two years and was arrested on Wednesday at a house in Highfield where he has been hiding and will appear in court today.

His arrest came after detectives received information that Njowa was hiding at a house in Highfield.

The financial institution had recently offered a US$5 000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of Njowa and his two other accomplices believed to have been part of the gang.

The other two are Patson Matengambiri and Nyasha Chitera.

The trio were in the company of 11 other gang members who have since been arrested and the matter is still pending before the courts.

The robbery of the US$2,7 million and $43 000 from a ZB Bank cash-in-transit vehicle was believed to have been an inside job where three security personnel in the vehicle allegedly connived with robbers.

The three security staff; Nomatter Jonga, 43, Mathew Simango, 66 and Fanuel Musakwa, 34; were arrested and have since appeared at the Harare Magistrates Courts.

It is alleged that on January 6, 2021 at around 11.30am, the three were tasked to carry seven boxes containing US$2 775 000.

This cash was to be ferried to ZB branches; Chinhoyi US$75 000, Kadoma US$25 000, Kwekwe and Gweru US$150 000 each, Bulawayo US$200 000, Gwanda US$50 000 and Zvishavane US$100 000.

They were travelling in a Toyota Hilux single cab with a canopy, secured with a tracker and emergency panic button. Initial allegations given in court were that the three hatched a plan to steal the money and connived with six others.

It is alleged that Jonga, Simango and Musakwa picked three unknown suspects at the Westgate roundabout in Harare and drove to the Inkomo tollgate where they collected a box containing $43 090, which was supposed to be deposited at the bank, and then picked up three more men at Inkomo Barracks turn-off as they drove towards Chinhoyi.

Jonga stopped the vehicle upon reaching the 60km peg and a fake robbery was staged.

It is further alleged that an Isuzu twin-cab immediately arrived at the scene with people who were armed with pistols.

Jonga, Simango and Musakwa surrendered their pistol and rifle before driving their Toyota Hilux for about 900 metres where the gang offloaded the cash boxes into the Isuzu which then drove off.