SIX men brandishing guns allegedly broke into Sihube Bus
Service garage in Thorngrove, Bulawayo where they blew open a safe, stole more
than $2 000, a laptop and a pistol.
The robbers allegedly used electric cables and shoe laces
to tie up the caretaker Mr Nation Mpofu (40) and bus loaders Sydney Nkomo (45)
and Marvellous Moyo (23) who were sleeping in the premises.
The trio said it was too dark to identify their assailants.
Mr Collen Mpofu who is Nation’s father and director of
Sihube Bus Service said the six, who are alleged to have been carrying two
pistols, blasted a safe which contained some company documents and took $2 000
bond notes and US$650 around 2AM on Saturday.
He said they covered his bound up employees with a blanket
in the reception area.
Yesterday, Collen was still trying to fix his office, which
looked like it had been hit by a storm.
It looked like the locking system had been blown off and
papers were strewn all over the room.
An acrid smell of burnt paint and metal still lingered in
the air.
“I am very sad and pained by what happened because we had
saved the money to pay the insurance and fix VID papers for one of our buses
that broke down,” he said.
“What puzzles me the most is that we have big guard dogs
here, but I heard that the dogs did not bark when robbers came which raises
suspicion that the robbers are known to us.”
“The robbers took $2 000 bond notes, US$650, a brand new
Lenovo laptop and my pistol which I last used in 2000.
“We thought the safe was protected and we had added an
extra key not knowing that the robbers had plans for it,” he said.
Nation said the robbers appeared to be between the ages of
35 and 45 and were smartly dressed. He said they wore caps and helmets and
spoke in Shona and English.
“Around 2:30 AM, I heard a loud noise that sounded like a
gate being opened. I came out thinking that it was my father coming in like he
usually does. I met a man who pointed a gun at me. He grabbed me by the collar
and took me to the reception room where Nkomo and Moyo were already being held
hostage.
“Our hands and feet were tied with cables from a fan and
drilling machine. The robbers also used our shoe laces to tie us, but never
threatened nor assaulted us at any point. They ordered us to lie facing down
and proceeded to my father’s office where there was the money safe.
“I suspect that they used dynamite to blast the safe and
took the money. As they were leaving I heard them saying ‘kuri nani’ (not bad).
After about five minutes, I called for
help and Mehluli Mpofu who was sleeping in the next room used a knife to cut us
loose.”
Mehluli said he heard the explosion as the robbers burst
open the safe but he carried on sleeping as he thought it was happening
somewhere far away. Chronicle
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