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Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Senior Reporter
FIVE men are on the run after stealing a brand new TV set from a vehicle in Bulawayo’s city centre on Wednesday afternoon.
The complainant who had just bought the JVC 55 -inch televesion set tried in vain to stop the thieves by firing at their gateway car.

Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the incident yesterday urging residents to desist from crime as they risk losing lives.

“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of theft and a shooting incident which occurred along 10th Avenue in Bulawayo.

The complainant is a male adult aged 55 years of Gratham Farm, Turk mine, Inyathi, Matabeleland North and the accused persons are five unknown male adults,” he said.

Insp Ncube said on August 18 at around 2pm, the complainant collected his television set and tied it in the load box of his vehicle.

He said the complainant proceeded to park his vehicle between Robert Mugabe Way and George Silundika Street along 10th Avenue in Bulawayo as he wanted to get into a food outlet.

“He disembarked from his motor vehicle and left his wife in the motor vehicle. After a few minutes while in the food outlet, the complainant saw the five men untying his television set. His wife, tried in vain to alert passersby,” said Insp Ncube.

He said the suspects loaded the television set into an unregistered silver Honda fit which they used as their getaway car.

“The complainant managed to arrive at the scene before the accused persons drove off. Upon arrival from a distance of approximately four metres the complainant pointed his pistol towards the accused persons’ silver Honda fit. The complainant then fired one round directly towards the accused persons’ getaway car after realising that the accused persons were not coming out of their car,” said Insp Ncube.

He said the getaway car sped off towards the southern direction and the complainant then proceeded to Bulawayo Central Police Station to file a report. “Total value stolen is US$900 and nothing was recovered and no spent cartridges were recovered and no injuries were reported. Police are warning criminals that crime does not pay; some property owners are armed and just like in this case the Honda fit criminals could have lost their lives because of a television set,” said Insp Ncube.-@thamamoe