The latest occurred at the weekend when the suspects
pounced on the church’s Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Pumula South suburb and
went away with over US$6 000.
The raid occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday after
the armed robbers destroyed the alarm system and neutralised the vicious dogs.
They destroyed windows before reaching the priest whom they
beat up as they demanded money.
The latest attack brings to 20 the total of armed robberies
targeted at the church over 12 months.
This year alone, the church has been attacked 17 times.
In all the raids, the suspects use almost the same modus
operandi, raising strong suspicions that it could be same gang targeting the
church.
In executing the crime, the armed robbers use guns,
machetes, hammers, bolt-cutters, and knives and in some instances leave their
victims tied with pieces of wire.
With no regard for what is considered holy, the robbers do
not flinch at beating up priests as they force them to reveal where money is
kept.
Church leaders could not disclose how much of “God’s money”
the unholy alliance has got away with.
So daring are the armed robbers that one parish, St Peter
and Paul in Mpopoma was hit four times on October 5, October 25, and December 2
last year and in January this year. A
parish and a school have been raided twice this year already.
On Monday last week, the robbers hit St Bernadette in
Bulawayo’s Waterford suburb, with Our Lady of Fatima Parish being hit for the
third time.
The robbery spree started early last year when the suspects
hit St Andrews Parish in Queenspark suburb before descending on St Padre Pio in
Emakhandeni suburb on October 25.
This year, the robbers raided Our Lady of Lourdes in
Khumalo suburb on January 29 before moving to St Bernard’s Parish and Primary
School in Pumula suburb on February 3.
On April 15 the robbers raided Uganda Martyrs Parish in
Luveve. They returned to St Bernard’s and raided the secondary school.
They then moved to Mpopoma suburb where they descended on
St Peter and St Paul Parish before moving to Nkulumane and struck Holy Spirit
Parish on May 25. They attacked
Entumbane Parish — Our Lady Queen of Peace on June 1 before raiding St Adolph
in Magwegwe four days later.
On June 8, the robbers attacked Ekusileni primary and
secondary schools and Ekusileni Mission all in Filabusi, Matabeleland South
province.
The head of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of
Bulawayo, Archbishop Alex Thomas said the church is worried about the
increasing number of robberies targeting their properties.
Archbishop Thomas was not at liberty to disclose the exact
amount of money lost during the robberies.
“The armed robbers have been raiding our churches, and some
of them have been hit twice so far. We suspect that the gang involves about
eight suspects,” he said.
“Four enter the premises while the other three stand guard
outside with another one remaining inside the getaway car. The suspects will be
carrying dangerous weapons like guns, bolt cutters, machetes, and hammers among
others, which are prohibited weapons.”
Archbishop Thomas said the church has been forced to review
the security in its institutions.
He said they had since engaged a private security firm to
help in the investigations.
Archbishop Thomas said the robbers are mostly targeting
money, laptops and cellphones.
“The reason I think our institutions are being targeted is
that people think that the church has money, which is a wrong perception of the
past. They see these big buildings and think there is money inside,” he said.
“People have an idea that we receive money from overseas
which is false. All our contributions are from the locals, and we do not have
rich people in our parishes.”
Archbishop Thomas said all the robberies are happening
during the night.
He said this year no parish has been desecrated, but last
year two parishes were desecrated by the robbers.
Archbishop Thomas said church employees residing in the
institutions are now living in fear of being attacked.
“We need to deal with the social evils which are in society
such as drugs and alcohol. Police should target such places and address
lawlessness happening in the city because there is now a perception that our
policing is very weak in Bulawayo,” he said.
“These thieves are taking advantage of the challenges faced
by police such as lack of resources. People are getting fed-up and it will
force them to take the law into their own hands because these robberies are
also targeting residential houses.”
Archbishop Thomas said in some attacks, the robbers tie
their victims with wires and assault them, forcing them to give out information
about where money is kept.
“The robbers’ struck again on Saturday at Our Lady of
Fatima Parish in Pumula South, the third time the church has been hit with the
first two robberies occurring last year,” he said.
“This time they totally cut and destroyed the alarm system
from all the corners. Somehow, they managed to neutralise the vicious dogs kept
there as security.”
Archbishop Thomas said the suspects assaulted the priest
and demanded money.
“It is becoming worse by each robbery. Asisalali ebusuku we
are just tired of these robberies,” he said
National Police spokesperson, Assistant Commissioner Paul
Nyathi said he had so far only received the latest case which happened at the
weekend in Pumula.
He said investigations are pointing to leakage of
information by some people with information of the cash movement in the church.
“The information I have is of the recent case which
happened over the weekend at Pumula. Five suspects pounced on the church staff
and got away with US$4 855, about R 24 000, P 188 and ZW$14 350,” he said.
“I am still checking the other cases with police.”
Asst Comm Nyathi said police are investigating the matter
with a crack team having been established.
“But what is clear is that some of these cases there is
leaking of information by members with inside information on how cash received,
storage and location. We are conducting investigations and we will work with
the church to boost security and to identify the source of the leakage of
information to outsiders,” he said.
“We have had one armed robbery case, four robbery cases
were other weapons besides guns were used, eight unlawful entry at night by
people breaking into the church premises to steal and three cases in Matabeleland
South Province. Officer commanding Bulawayo Province has set up special team to
look at these cases.” Chronicle
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