Residents stone armed robbers… Shop manager shot, mob steps in to help

Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
BULAWAYO’S New Lobengula residents showed extraordinary courage on Saturday evening when gunfire broke out during an attempted robbery at Sai Mart.
As bullets flew around 8PM, leaving one shop employee injured with a gunshot wound to the thigh, the community sprang into action. With remarkable bravery, they confronted the armed robbers, pelting them with stones and driving them to flee empty-handed into the night. Their swift and fearless response not only foiled the robbery but also sent a powerful message that such criminal acts will not be tolerated in their neighbourhood.
One resident, Mr Emmanuel Mutoko, described how he scaled a nearby precast wall and hid in a neighbour’s yard as bullets whizzed in different directions. The robbers fired indiscriminately at the growing crowd of residents determined to stop the robbery.
“The shop closes at 8pm, and as staff were leaving, there was commotion as some men forced their way inside. One of them, who seemed to be watching the place from outside, started shooting randomly.
Residents gathered around the shop and began throwing stones, and he fired a few more shots. I jumped over a perimeter wall and hid next door because I was scared of being hit by a stray bullet,” Mr Mutoko said.

Armed robbers
He said that the robbers took advantage of a malfunctioning tower light to escape into the darkness after realising the residents were determined to stop them.
“It all happened within a few minutes, and then the robbers were gone. No one chased them. That’s when we heard that the manager had been shot inside the shop,” he said.
Bulawayo provincial police acting spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, confirmed the incident.
“Police in Bulawayo are investigating a case of attempted robbery and attempted murder that occurred on February 1, 2025 in New Lobengula, Bulawayo. At approximately 8:10pm, a brazen attempted robbery and attempted murder occurred at Choppies (now Sai Mart), where a 59-year-old male complainant, a resident of Cowdray Park, sustained serious injuries,” she said.
She said that the attempted armed robbery and shooting happened as staff members were closing up for the night.
“The complainant (the shop manager) was reconciling invoices in his office while the rest of the staff were clocking out. As the complainant was about to open the door for the staff to leave, three suspects emerged from their hiding place near the shop.
“The first suspect fired a single shot, causing some workers to scatter and others to seek refuge at the back of the shop. The second suspect fired two shots from the exit door, attempting to intimidate the crowd of onlookers,” Assistant Inspector Msebele said.
One of the suspects then forced the manager into the strong room and demanded he open the safe. When the manager said he didn’t have the keys, he was shot in both thighs.
“As more people joined the crowd outside the shop and began pelting the suspects with stones, the armed robbers panicked and abandoned their attempt to rob the store. They left the scene empty-handed,” said Assistant Inspector Msebele.
She urged anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact their nearest police station.
“We would like to urge business owners to hire security guards from reputable security companies to protect their employees and property from such criminal activity.”
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