Suburban
AT time the Zimbabwe Republic Police’s repeated warnings to residents and businesses against keeping large sums of cash at home and on business premises are not being heeded, armed robberies targeting households and businesses with cash are on the rise with the criminals becoming more daring by the day.
Suburban Reporter
This week armed robbers raided a Meyrick Park family in Mabelreign and got away with US$8 000 cash, cellphones and a car belonging to the family.
The incident took place on Monday evening when the robbers who were armed with guns stormed the house along Richwell Avenue around 1930hours and attacked the occupants of the house who included children and the owner of the house’s visiting mother-in-law.
They stole the cash, an undisclosed number of cellphones and a Jaguar silver in colour but the owner held onto the car keys.
“The car keys were with the owner, therefore the car could be within the radius of Mabelreign as it (the engine) might stop (running) anytime. Let’s help one of our own to locate the car. Help spread the message,” read a security alert message posted on a residents group.
The robbers’ violence was not only meted out on the occupants of the house but they also extensively damaged property including the house itself and cars parked in the driveway.
The robbers shred one of the outside doors through which they gained entry into pieces before they broke windows, mirrors and the rear windscreen of the owner’s Land Rover Discovery which was parked in the driveway. It was not clear what tool they used to cut the door and gain entry into the house.
In Marlborough, suspected criminals are reported to have attacked a gas shop near Gosham Road just before sunset on Tuesday and got away with an undisclosed sum of cash.
“Morning my maid tells me that there were criminals who attacked the gas filling spot after Gosham yesterday just before sunset. Apparently it is said they were wearing hoods and were several. (They) got money and drove off. Check this incident it is too close to home for comfort. We need to urgently set the security on our road, in fact road by road,” read another security alert on a Marlborough residents group.
The incident took place near the Marlborough Civic Centre area. It could not be established if the two cases had been reported to the police while efforts to get a comment from Harare Provincial Police spokesperson Inspector Tendai Mwanza, National Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, Mabelreign Police Station and Mabelreign Crime Consultative Committee were fruitless.
However, police have been on a campaign urging the public not to keep large sums of cash at home or at business premises but residents and business operators are not heeding the warning.
A few months ago, a pistol and US$90 000 cash was stolen at Marimba shopping centre in Belvedere.
“The police urge members of the public to be responsible and security conscious when carrying large sums of money.
“Police in Harare are investigating circumstances surrounding a case of theft in which a CZ pistol with a magazine of 7 rounds and US$ 90 000 cash were stolen on 15/03/21 at Marimba Shopping Centre, Belvedere. The CZ pistol with a magazine of 7 rounds was later found dumped in Milton Park. Investigations are in progress,” police said on their official Twitter Page on Thursday last week.
