A MEMBER of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA) died on Saturday night, while three others were arrested during a shootout with police in Birchenough Bridge following a botched armed robbery at Nehanda business centre in Bikita.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi said he was yet to check the details.
ZNA spokesperson Colonel Alphios Makotore said he was not
aware of the incident and could not confirm whether the man killed and the
three arrested were army personnel.
But according to a police internal memorandum seen by
NewsDay, the ZNA members were arrested together with four civilian accomplices.
The deceased was identified as Elliot Kandiyero (27), whose
rank in the ZNA was not established, while those arrested were identified as
Private James Keriphanos Makombe (22), Lance Corporal Oswald Kaseke (27) and
Corporal Maxwell Kuwanda (32).
The soldiers were stationed in Harare, Bulawayo and Mutare.
The four civilians are Peter Chiripiwako (33), Owen
Dzinduwa (26), Collius Kamuti (40) and Timothy Mawere (29).
One of the suspects, Moses Tengera, escaped during the
shootout which occurred at around 8pm in Birchenough Bridge.
Police recovered a Mossberg rifle serial number 46B159,
3x12 bore live rounds of ammunition, a 24 pound hammer and a machete from the
gang.
According to the memo, police reacted to a tip-off that the
accused persons were intending to commit an armed robbery at Nehanda business
centre in Bikita.
Following the tip-off, police arrested four suspects linked
to the planned robbery and took them to ZRP Bikita, where they were
interrogated by detectives from CID Homicide Harare and CID Nyanga.
The accused persons were arrested while waiting for their
five accomplices who were armed so that they could carry out the robbery.
Detectives then proceeded to Birchenough Bridge business
centre and spotted the accused persons who were using a Toyota Cresta vehicle
registration number ADE 8291. When the police identified themselves, the
accused persons bolted out of the vehicle.
Kandiyero, who was armed with a Mossberg rifle, opened fire
on the police together with Tengera, who escaped while firing shots from a
suspected revolver.
Police returned fire, injuring Kandiyero who was rushed to
Birchenough Bridge District Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Three
accomplices were arrested on the scene, while Tengera escaped. Newsday
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