Zimpapers Logo

Patrick Chitumba, Midlands Bureau Chief

Robbers raided Alletta Primary School in Redcliff Town and stole US$25 000 from school fees payments and several laptops worth thousands of United States dollars in the early hours of yesterday.

Alletta Primary School

The security guard who was manning the private school premises is allegedly on the run and police investigations are underway.

Midlands’ provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko said investigations are underway and no arrests have been made so far.

Alletta Primary School bursar, Ms Maria Jackson confirmed the robbery.

“Yes, I can confirm that there was a break-in at our school which is in Redcliff. The robbers first broke the front door of the administration offices before breaking the second door that leads to the room where a safe that had the money was kept,” she said.

Ms Jackson said while inside, the robbers broke the safe and took the US$25 000.

 “This money that was stolen was from school fees collected from parents and guardians and it was supposed to be banked on Tuesday (yesterday),” she said.

Ms Jackson said when they got to the school, the security guard who was manning the premises was nowhere to be found.

She said when they arrived at the school, they found the administration office doors wide open and the money and laptops were missing. 

“The security guard is on the run. He sent a voice note to his boss saying he didn’t steal the money, but slept on duty and found the administration office door and safe damaged and decided to flee fearing that he could be implicated,” said Ms Jackson.

Lately, there has been an increase in armed robberies across the country with criminals targeting banks, service stations and businesspeople keeping large sums of money. Some of the cases have been linked to inside jobs.

Recently, six suspected armed robbers were arrested after they allegedly raided a home of a Kwekwe businessman on December 30 and made off with five firearms and jewellery.

The businessman was away on holiday.

The stolen goods that included five guns and an assortment of ammunition and the jewellery were recovered from the suspects.

In November last year, 12 masked armed robbers got away with over US$580 000 and R58 000 after robbing Rockodox Garage which is situated in the industrial area in Kwekwe.

The 12 unknown suspects pounced on the service station and manhandled the security guards before getting away with cash which was kept in a safe.

The robbers who were armed with a pistol and an AK rifle, tied the hands and legs of two security guards with shoelaces before stealing a drilling machine, US$582 540 and R58 430.

On August 25 last year, just after midnight, armed robbers pounced on a service station in Concession and got away with nearly US$5 000.

In Bulawayo, four suspected armed robbers in August, tied up a security guard at Major Petroleum Fuel Station along Khami Road in Bulawayo, ransacked the offices before filling a drum with nearly 200 litres of fuel.

Fuel

In June two armed robbers raided Total service station in Macheke and went away with US$450 and $300.