AK47 armed robbers hit two service stations

ARMED robbers brandishing pistols and an AK47 rifle raided two service stations in Bulawayo, fired a shot at one of them before getting away with cash in the wee hours of yesterday morning.

In the first robbery three men armed with pistols got away with airtime recharge cards and cash worth $1 260 and two cellphones at Zuva Service Station in Woodlands suburb.

One man slinging an AK47 rifle robbed attendants of about $150 and a cellphone at a Total Service Station at the corner of 10th Avenue and Robert Mugabe Way in the city centre.

Zuva Service Station was robbed at around 1AM while Total Service Station was hit around 3AM.

Both are 24-hour service stations.

At Zuva Service Station the gunmen ransacked a till at the kiosk, took two cellphones and $60 from one of the workers

"They also took packets of cigarettes which were on the shelf, airtime recharge cards worth about $1 000 and $200 cash," said a source.

After that they force marched a security guard, Mr Byron Sithole (45), a till operator Mr Black Mutanga (31) and a petrol attendant, Mr Jonathan Mwanandimai (33) into a storeroom.

Source at the service station said the gunmen frisked the workers before demanding to be led to a safe.

"One of the two robbers armed with pistols threatened to shoot them if they made noise. Once inside the storeroom, the robbers demanded cash. They said they wanted to be shown the safe containing the day's takings from both the kiosk and fuel sales but there was no safe," said a source.

The robbers who probably were infuriated when they failed to locate the safe, locked the workers in the storeroom and fled.

After about five minutes, the trio called for help from the gas attendant who resides at the backyard of the service station.

Mr Methuseli Sibanda, the attendant, came to their rescue, and called the owner of the service station who reported the robbery to the police.

At Total Service Station, the lone gunman demanded cash from a petrol attendant.

On seeing the rifle, the attendant fled into the manager's office and locked himself inside.

The robber who wore a sweater with a hood that covered his face, ordered him to open the door.

When the attendant failed to comply, the gunslinger fired a shot through a glass door and the bullet ricocheted off a wall.

Total Service Station Manager, Mr Amos Nhapi said: "The attendant whose name I won't disclose pressed the panic button. He then opened the door," said Mr Nhapi.

He said the unidentified robber took one step into the office and demanded cash.

"The robber then ordered the attendant to hand over his cell phone and cash. After receiving $154 and cell phone, the robber stepped out, removed his hood and disappeared into the dark. The robbery was however, captured on Closed Circuit Television," said Mr Nhapi.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Precious Simango was not immediately available for comment.