AK47 shop raider disarmed by villagers

BRAVE villagers in Filabusi, Matabeleland South province, disarmed an AK-47 gun-totting robber who allegedly tried to shoot them after robbing a local shop. The villagers, risking their lives, confronted Judge Sibanda, 20, as he tried to make off with a till containing $135 shortly after midday on Wednesday.

Sibanda of Marubamba area under Chief Ndube in Filabusi allegedly struck in broad daylight at the Cover Hardware Shop at Mahole business centre. The shop was being manned by a female shopkeeper. Witnesses said Sibanda struck the shopkeeper with the handle of the gun resulting in her falling.

Newton Kunene, a local man, said after being felled by the blow from the gun, the shopkeeper rolled to safety while screaming for help. "After the shopkeeper screamed, he (Sibanda) tried to escape on foot. Villagers chased after him although keeping a safe distance fearing being fired at. They were pelting him with stones," said Kunene.

"After he realised that the mob was not giving up on him, he turned and tried to shoot but his gun jammed.

"That's when the villagers advanced towards him and confiscated his gun before giving him a thorough beating."

He said some people thought the gun was not loaded, but were horrified after a retired police officer, Memory Moyo, removed the magazine and found 18 rounds of ammunition.

Said another witness: "Among the people who were at the scene was an ex-police officer who checked whether the gun was functional. He said the AK-47 was loaded with 18 rounds of ammunition but the gun was locked. That is how the robber failed to shoot us."

Kunene said fearing that the villagers could assault Sibanda to death, they locked him in one of the shops.

"He was locked in the shop while we waited for police from Filabusi to come. The police came later and that's how he was arrested," said Kunene.

Confronted by angry locals, Sibanda claimed that he was an artisanal miner and had found the AK-47 buried underground while prospecting for gold using a metal detector. Matabeleland South province acting police spokesperson Sergeant Thabani Mkhwananzi said the suspect is being held in custody.

He declined to shed more light on the investigations saying revealing information about the robbery might jeopardise the case. "We've arrested a man who was apprehended by members of the public after he tried to rob a shop using a gun. We're in the process of investigating where he got the gun," said Sgt Mkhwananzi.

He urged members of the public to exercise caution when dealing with suspected armed robbers. "They were very cautious but we urge members of the public to submit to the demands of an armed robber. Most of these robbers are trigger happy and can open fire on them," he said.

In 2013, a 35-year-old security guard was killed in a bloody supermarket shootout in Bulawayo's Iminyela suburb when he tried to stop three armed robbers from raiding the shop. Rhilimon Mudenda of Old Magwegwe was shot in the chest after reportedly shooting one of the robbers on the leg.