Street kids foil $200 000 armed robbery

STREET kids in Gweru apprehended two machete-wielding men who were trying to rob a businessman of $200 000.

A third suspect who is said to have been in a getaway car is still on the run.

Sources close to the incident said Lucky Mavhura of Mbizo and Nesbert Banda of Amaveni pounced on a shop after allegedly getting information that the owner had not been depositing cash into a bank and had  $200 000 in a safe on the premises.

The duo is said to have broken into the clothing shop near Kudzanayi bus terminus on Thursday morning but failed to locate the safe.

"The shop owner, Mr Utta Akian, was with his worker Mr Edwin Phiri when they parked their vehicle near their shop," said the source.

"As they approached the shop to open for the day, the duo heard footsteps coming from inside their shop."

The source said when they opened the shop to investigate, Mavhura and Banda grabbed them and dragged them inside.

"The armed robbers assaulted the shop owner and his employee demanding $200 000 which was said to be in the safe. Akian and Phiri screamed for help and they were rescued by street kids who swarmed the shop and apprehended one of the suspects," said the source who preferred anonymity.

He said the other suspect tried to scare the homeless children with his machete but they would not be deterred. "Seeing that they could overpower and assault him, he climbed onto the roof. A sizeable crowd had gathered and were baying for his blood," said the source.

A witness said someone from the crowd called police who were manning a roadblock in the Central Business District (CBD).

"The roadblock cops called colleagues at Gweru Central Police Station who reacted quickly to arrest the suspects," said the witness.

Mavhura and Banda allegedly told the police that they were informed by one of the employees that there was $200 000 cash in the safe.

Midlands provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende confirmed the incident and said the suspects were assisting police with investigations.

"I can confirm that the police in Gweru nabbed two armed robbers, Mavhura and Banda, in connection with an attempted robbery of $200 000.

They are assisting us with investigations and they will appear in court soon," said Insp Mukwende.