Savious Madanhire
A dramatic robbery unfolded in the streets of Gweru’s Central Business District, leading to a high-speed cat-and-mouse chase of the victims and the suspects.
The drama began when two robbers, with a well-planned ruse, stole a Chinese nationalist’s bag containing valuable items, including passports, a laptop, and thousands of dollars.
The robbers, posing as good Samaritans, knocked on the window of the victim’s vehicle, claiming that oil was leaking from the back tyre. While the driver, Robert Mudzimu, stepped out to investigate, the robbers swiftly snatched the bag from the Chinese nationalist who was seated at the back.
Mudzimu quickly realized what had happened and took action, giving chase to the thieves, who were fleeing in a silver Honda Fit New Shape Hybrid with fake number plates.
“We received a GPS location on our phones to attend a meeting at ZETDC offices, while waiting in the car, someone knocked on the window and said oil was leaking on the back tyre, hence I went to check the oil, and then heard the Chinese national screaming inside the car.
“I started giving chase to the robbers and tried to run them off the road, but unfortunately, they escaped,” he recounted the events.
The pursuit, which started at ZETDC offices in town, went through the streets of Gweru, weaving past pedestrians and other vehicles, until it finally ended at the Mtapa vegetable market.
“I saw two cars chasing each other, a silver Honda Fit and a blue Prado, coming from Bristol roundabout. The Prado hit the Honda Fit from the back, making the Honda Fit lose control and start moving off the road. I was shocked, and what I could only do was run away, moving backwards. The vehicle then hit some of my potatoes and jumped over my neighbor, who sells oranges,” said one of the eyewitnesses who sells potatoes.
Tafadzwa Phiri, a vendor whose stall was destroyed in the crash and also escaped death by a whisker, described the moment of impact: “I don’t know what happened, but what I remember is that I was sitting on my chair and when I raised my head, I saw a car flying over me landing on my oranges destroying them.”
The Honda Fit was hit from behind by the Prado, causing it to lose control and crash into nearby stalls. The impact left the nearby vendors’ potatoes, watermelons, and oranges scattered, and most of them destroyed.
The Chinese national recounted the terrifying experience: “I was by the ZESA when my bag was stolen by two males, the bag contained passports, a laptop, and thousands of dollars in cash.”
When asked about his safety concerns as a Chinese national in Zimbabwe, he admitted: “I don’t feel safe.”
The unidentified suspects escaped the accident scene into Mtapa cemetery and were unable to be found with the stolen bag.
