ZANU PF Parliamentary Candidate Arrested For Armed Robbery
The ZANU PF candidate for Pumula, Bulawayo, in the 2018 elections, Khumbulani Mpofu, and his gang allegedly robbed a mine in Shurugwi last week and were later arrested by the police.
Mpofu was reportedly issued with a ZANU PF White Ford Ranger double cab vehicle in 2017 which he used in a midnight armed robbery on 22 December at Ansh Red Mine in Shurugwi, reported The NewsHawks.
A police report obtained by CITE in Bulawayo, shared with The NewsHawks reveals that the seven robbers stole 400kg of gold-loaded carbons at gunpoint. Reads the report:
The seven accused persons who were armed with an identified pistol, an axe an electric shocker and also an unidentified rifle ordered the two complainants to lie down before tying them with a rope.
Some of the accused persons proceeded to the caborn room where they force opened the door and loaded about 400kgs of pregnant caborns into sacks, while some were left guarding the complainants.
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One of the accused persons among those who were guarding the complainants searched and took US$250 from complainant number three while the others took four cellphones which were being charged.
The accused persons then left the scene leaving the complainants tied with the rope. One of the complainants managed to untie himself and proceeded to untie the other.
They then phoned complainant number one (Anderson Muchenje) who is the owner of the mine and the case was reported to the Shurugwi police station.
Scene was attended by DUB and CID details, but nothing was recovered.
The seven suspects are Delta Misheck (32), Khumbulani Mpofu (42), Promise Dube (22), Moyo Phakhamani (30), Canicious Sibanda (28), Khumalo Mlamuli (31) and Munetsi Takunda (29).
About 24 hours after the robbery, police got a tip-off and moved for Mpofu, a University of KwaZulu-Natal graduate and ZANU PF activist, before pouncing on the robbers at a tollgate.
Police shot the robbers’ getaway car’s tyres and punctured them before the robbers tried to escape on foot. Reads the police report:
On 24 December 2022 at around 1800hours CID MFFU Shurugwi details received a tip-off to the effect that the accused were in possession of 400 kilogrammes of loaded carbon and looking for an unmonitored elution plant for gold processing.
A swift reaction comprised of CID MFFU Shurugwi and Support Unit details were mandated to action the information received.
… At around 1830 hours, the accused persons arrived at [Flamingo Tollgate 10km along the Gweru to Masvingo Road] driving a white Ford Ranger registration number AEX 3081, engine number not yet identified, chassis number AFAPXXMJ2PJU06936 driven by accused number two Khumbulani Mpofu aged 42… of Cowdry Park Bulawayo and he is unemployed. The vehicle had a VVIP sticker on the screen.
Whilst the aforementioned vehicle was in the queue towards paypoint, detectives approached the vehicle, and identified themselves by producing police identity cards to the driver and occupants.
Detectives then ordered the driver to switch off the vehicle and remain stationary at that point. The driver did not comply instead he, closed the windows and locked the doors, attempted to reverse and move out of the queue.
The attempt failed as the vehicle was blocked by other vehicles in the queue. Support unit details closed in and surrounded the vehicle… Cst Maduche who was armed with an AK rifle… deflated the right tyre by firing one shot whilst… L/Sgt Matonhodze G who was armed with AK rifle… deflated the left tyre by firing one shot.
On realising that the escape with the vehicle was not possible, the driver brought the vehicle to an emergency halt, opened the door attempting to escape and was apprehended across the road by D/Sgt Chaumbezvo after a struggle that resulted in the police detail sustaining a loss of tooth on the lower jaw.
