Their capture,
a result of joint efforts between the South African Police Services (SAPS) and
the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), is being hailed as a major breakthrough in
a case many feared had gone cold.
But who exactly
are these men, who have come to be known as the “Terror Twins”?
Hailing from
Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo, the Vumbunu brothers were born into a complex
family setup, which is a religious and polygamous household.
Despite their
shared surname and sibling bond, they are technically half-brothers, born to
sisters married to the same man.
Their bond,
however, has always been tight. They were raised together and are regarded as
twins within their family and community.
Police say
their descent into crime began in the mid-1990s, with at least four members of
their family allegedly involved in various illicit activities ranging from
petty theft and drug peddling to carjackings and armed robbery.
Over the years,
Abraham and Elijah rose to notoriety for being ruthless, cunning, and able to
evade law enforcement.
Police sources
said the Vumbunu brothers’ involvement in organised crime is not a new
phenomenon.
“We have been
monitoring the Vumbunu brothers’ activities for some time now, and their
involvement in the US$4 million heist comes as no surprise. Their brazen
tactics and ability to evade capture have made them a thorn in our side, but we
are determined to bring them to justice,” said the source.
According to
police, Abraham had just been released from serving a 14-year prison sentence
when he allegedly re-joined his brother and their network to plan the
high-stakes Ecobank robbery, barely two weeks after his release.
The heist,
which took place on October 3 last year, was carried out with movie-style
precision. Witnesses recall a scene straight out of an action movie.
“The first guy
jumped out of a Ford Ranger, shouting and pointing a rifle. Within seconds, the
others leapt out and grabbed cash trunks from the security guards like
clockwork,” said a vendor, who witnessed the robbery.
The vendor said
it was terrifying, and the guards had no chance.
Witnesses said
the six robbers, all armed, overpowered Safeguard security personnel, who were
transporting cash, seizing several trunks and sped off along 9th Avenue in a
well-co-ordinated getaway.
The Vumbunu
brothers are also suspected to be connected to several other high-profile
crimes, including the Mukuru money heist, the How Mine gold robbery, which
ended in a dramatic shootout and a series of carjackings and home invasions in
Bulawayo and beyond.
Their
involvement in these cases, according to police, points to an intricate web of
organised crime that has operated across borders and eluded justice for years.
On Saturday,
the brothers were apprehended in a high-stakes operation in South Africa.
National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said extradition
procedures are underway.
“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 5th 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.
Their arrest
has sparked mixed reactions from the public, some relieved, others skeptical
about why it took so long.
“Why has it
taken them so long to break the leads, if at all, they knew all along who the
robbers are?” asked Mr Thulani Jubane of Hillside suburb.
“It has been
months since the case went cold and now, all of a sudden, the police have
picked up on a trail. As a community, how are we going to rest at night knowing
such brazen criminals are lurking around?”
A female vendor
near the robbery scene added: “As a mother, it frightens me. What if they come
back? We just want to live without fear.”
The Vumbunu
brothers’ alleged involvement in the US$4 million heist is just the latest in a
string of high-profile crimes that have plagued the country.
The Vumbunu
brothers have come to personify the growing threat of organised crime in the
country.
Their arrest
may be a step in the right direction, but it also exposes the urgent need for
robust intelligence-sharing, quicker prosecutions and tighter cross-border
collaboration.
As the legal
wheels turn and Zimbabwe awaits their return to face justice, many are asking
the same question: What else are the Terror Twins hiding and who else is
involved? H Metro
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