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Auxilia Katongomara Chronicle Reporter
POLICE and private security guards rushed to an OK Supermarket branch in Bulawayo in the early hours of Thursday after a burglar alarm had gone off. It however, transpired that a rodent or cat had triggered the alarm. The incident occurred around 5AM at OK Lobengula branch. Word had quickly spread around the city that thieves had pounced on the supermarket.

OK Zimbabwe corporate services manager Brighton Muguwe confirmed the incident.

“It’s still uncertain what set off the alarm but it could be a rodent in the shop or a cat. Police received a phone call at around 5AM from a security guard at a nearby-shop leading to their quick response,” said Muguwe.

He said the guard heard some noise emanating from the shop before the alarm went off.

“Police rushed to the scene but didn’t find anyone or anything around the shop, they figured the alarm could have been triggered by a cat or rodent in the shop,” said Muguwe.

Cases of robbery and break-ins at supermarkets increased last year.

Choppies retail shops in particular, have become targets of armed robbers and thieves. Choppies branches at Sekusile in Nkulumane and along Fort Street have been hit twice by armed robbers. The two supermarkets lost about $60,000 in a space of two months.

Last month, daring thieves broke into yet another Choppies supermarket in New Lobengula through the roof and made away with $15,000. In September, some robbers using the same modus operandi pounced on Bon Marche supermarket in Parklands and snatched more than $15,000.

Police have urged businesspeople to tighten security.