Foreign currency dealer shot dead

A group of armed robbers shot and killed a foreign currency dealer in Ngungu,  Masvingo on Boxing Day.

Police have arrested the two suspects (names withheld) and recovered part of the stolen money and air time recharge cards they took from one of the victims.

Sources to The Herald said that one of the suspects was apprehended in a dramatic incident by commuter omnibus drivers and touts at the business centre just after committing the offence, while the other one was tracked to Chipinge in the afternoon.

Police sources said they used the mobile phone of the first suspect they arrested to communicate with his alleged accomplice.

They sent text messages saying "where are you, let's meet and share the loot". The accomplice, unaware that he was communicating with law enforcement agents, "disclosed that he was heading for Chipinge, leading to his arrest", a police source said.

The robbery, which left the small community shocked, occurred at around 7:25am.
The victims, who double-up on their foreign currency by trading as airtime vendors, conducted their business at the growth point.
The value of money stolen by the robbers is yet to be ascertained.

The deceased has been identified as Tapera Chibaya (30), who was shot in the stomach and left leg.
The injured are Justin Moyo, who was shot in the ear; Kudakwashe Chanda, who was shot in the stomach; and Samuel Gwanhema, who was shot in the waist.

Gwanhema and Chanda were taken to Chiredzi District Hospital where they are both said to be in critical condition, while Moyo was treated and discharged at Ngundu Clinic.

According to Moyo, the robbers, both armed with pistols, ordered them to lie on the ground before instructing them to surrender all the money they had.

"One of the robbers fired two shots in the air before aiming at me, hitting me in the ear. Chibaya tried to escape but was shot twice in the stomach and left leg before he was forced to surrender all his money.

"He (Chibaya) gave the robbers R10 200, US$900, 27 Econet sim cards and six NetOne sim cards. The robbers then shot Gwanhema in the waist when he tried to escape, before shooting Chanda in the stomach," he said.

Moyo said the robbers then fled in different directions.
Luck however, ran out for one of the robbers who went towards the growth point where touts and other vendors cornered and apprehend him.

"One of the suspects who ran towards the Masvingo Road direction managed to escape, but the other one who ran towards the growth point was apprehended by touts and vendors. He was taken to Ngundu Police Station where he was detained," Moyo said.

National police spokesperson Chief Superintendent Paul Nyathi yesterday confirmed the incident and said investigations were in progress.

He said the details of the case were still sketchy and he was yet to receive the full report from Ngundu.
By yesterday evening police were still at the scene conducting investigations.

This is not the first time armed robbers have pounced on foreign currency dealers and airtime vendors, among other people who deal with large amounts of cash.

Last week, a Harare man lost US$47 000 cash to four armed robbers who raided his Mabelreign house.
In April, three armed robbers got away with US$10 000 cash and two cellphones after raiding an airtime dealer's shop in Harare's city centre.

The three, two of them armed with pistols and the other with a knife, raided the airtime dealer at around 7pm on a Sunday.
In November last year, a bulk airtime vendor was shot dead by armed robbers who got away with an undisclosed amount of cash in the Avenues area in Harare.

The incident occurred at the corner of Fife Avenue and Sixth Street in the early evening.