National police
spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the arrest of brothers Abraham
Temayi Vumbunu and Elijah Temayi Vumbunu, who were apprehended on Saturday and
are now awaiting extradition to Zimbabwe.
“The Zimbabwe
Republic Police confirms the arrest of Abraham Temayi Vumbunu and Elijah Temayi
Vumbunu in connection with the US$4 million Bulawayo Ecobank robbery heist
which occurred on 3rd October 2024. The suspects were arrested on 5 July 2025
in the Republic of South Africa, and the due processes of the law are now
taking effect for the suspects’ extradition to Zimbabwe,” he said.
Comm Nyathi
said the arrests were made possible through a collaborative effort between the
ZRP and the South African Police Services (SAPS).
Describing the
breakthrough as a major milestone in ongoing investigations, Comm Nyathi said
the ZRP continues to be relentless in its efforts to apprehend all suspects
linked to the robbery.
Comm Nyathi
said the due process of the law is now underway to facilitate the extradition
of the suspects to Zimbabwe.
“Comprehensive
efforts to arrest all suspects will be religiously pursued for the law to take
its course without fear or favour,” he said.
Comm Nyathi
urged anyone with information related to the holdup or any other crime to come
forward and assist in the investigation.
“The public can
be assured that the police are working tirelessly to ensure that justice is
served and that those responsible for the heist are held accountable,” he said.
The Ecobank
robbery, still regarded as the largest cash heist in the country’s history,
stunned the nation and sparked serious debate around the security of financial
institutions.
However, recent
developments have cast a shadow over the investigations, with last week’s
high-profile arrests in Bulawayo ending in controversy.
Two suspects,
Sibonginkosi Sibanda and Thokozani Zulu, initially paraded as key suspects,
appeared in court on charges that were later downgraded from armed robbery to
money laundering. Zulu was cleared of all charges while Sibanda, an employee of
Safeguard Security Company, was formally charged and remanded in custody,
pending a bail ruling expected today.
The dramatic
twist in court came as Sibanda and Zulu’s lawyer, Mr Prince Butshe-Dube of
Butshe and Associates, exposed glaring inconsistencies in the State’s case.
Under intense
cross-examination, investigating officer Detective Assistant Inspector
Tawedzerwa Shiriyapenga admitted to discrepancies in his affidavit and
testimony.
Det Asst Insp
Shiriyapenga initially denied arresting the suspects for armed robbery, only
for his own affidavit, prepared that morning, to contradict his claims. He
dismissed the inconsistency as a “typing error”.
Despite visibly struggling under questioning, Det Asst Insp Shiriyapenga insisted that Sibanda was a flight risk, alleging he had acquired several properties using proceeds from the robbery. These allegedly include two houses in Cowdray Park and Mbundane, two rural homesteads and two vehicles, a Honda Fit and a Hino truck, some of which are registered under his wife and daughter’s names.
Mr Butshe-Dube
said his client had no criminal record and was a suitable candidate for bail,
arguing that there was no concrete evidence linking him to the heist.
The heist, involving the theft of US$4 million from a cash-in-transit vehicle en route to deposit funds at Ecobank in Bulawayo, has remained unsolved for nearly a year. The crime shocked the country and has become one of the most closely-watched criminal investigations in Zimbabwe.
The arrest of the Vumbunu brothers in South Africa has reignited hopes of a breakthrough, even as questions linger over the initial arrests and the State’s ability to secure convictions. Chronicle
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