FIVE armed robbers yesterday pounced on CBZ Bank’s Fife Street branch in Bulawayo and got away with US$70 000 amid concerns over an increase in armed robberies countrywide.
The robbery, which occurred around midday, comes a month
after armed robbers raided a Mukuru branch in the city centre and got away with
more than US$100 000.
The branch is situated along 10th Avenue between Fife
Street and George Silundika Street.
The branch mostly services clients who will be receiving
money from international financial agents.
When a Chronicle news crew visited the scene yesterday at
around 2PM, there was a heavy police presence outside the bank with detectives
carrying out investigations.
The bank was also no longer allowing clients inside the
banking hall and people were withdrawing cash using the automated teller
machine (ATM).
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi confirmed the armed robbery, saying investigations were on course.
“Yes, we are conducting investigations after five armed
robbers raided a local financial institution and got away with US$70 000. The
five suspects masqueraded as genuine customers and queued just like everyone
else in the banking hall,” he said.
“When they were about to be served, they then pounced on
the bank manager and got away with the money.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said on their way out the suspects jammed
the exit door before escaping.
“No arrests have been made so far and we are appealing to
members of the public who might have information that could lead to the arrest
of the suspects to report to any nearest police station,” said the police
spokesperson.
City residents who spoke to the news crew said the increase
in armed robberies is becoming an issue of concern.
Mr Blessing Nyani, a vendor operating at corner 10th Avenue
and Fife Street, said he was shocked upon discovering that the bank had been
robbed.
“To tell you the truth we didn’t know what had transpired.
We only got to learn about the robbery when we saw armed police officers at the
scene and that’s when we were told that the bank had been robbed,” he said.
“This is something that is very worrying to us as
residents. Just recently, Mukuru was raided and surely, we are no longer safe
consider the rate at which these robberies are happening.”
Another resident, who declined to be named, said he
initially wanted to enter the banking hall before he was told that it was now a
crime scene.
“I was surprised because there was nothing that pointed to
the fact that a robbery had happened. From what I have gathered this thing
happened so quickly and most people did not see or suspect anything,” he said.
“I would like to commend the bank for handling this issue
in a very professional way. We understand that this was a traumatic experience,
but they kept serving us through the ATM.”
The incident follows last month’s raid of another financial
institution where four gun-wielding robbers got away with a total of US$100 000
and R500 000 after intercepting a
cash-in-transit Safeguard vehicle outside a money transfer agent in the city
centre.
Armed robbers last month raided Mukuru branch along 13th
Avenue, between Lobengula and Herbert Chitepo Street.
Following an increase in armed robbery cases, President
Mnangagwa last month issued an amnesty to all members of the public who are in
possession of unregistered firearms and ammunition to surrender them to the
Zimbabwe Republic Police.
The amnesty which started on August 8 will run until the
end of this month.
By Monday, 412 guns had been surrendered to the police. Chronicle
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