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Sharon Buwerimwe, Chronicle Reporter

POPULAR Bulawayo-based dancehall chanter, Njanji, real name Noah Wambe (30) has been linked to armed robberies targeting illegal foreign currency dealers in the city.

A gang armed with guns, machetes and iron bars that allegedly worked with Njanji, trailed osiphatheleni to their homes and robbed them of household property that includes television sets, cellphones and cash.

One of the gang members was arrested last Tuesdy at fast food outlet in the city.

The suspect implicated Njanji and police have allegedly recovered some of the stolen property from the dancehall chanter while some people who were arrested with some of the goods claimed that they bought them from him.

The heavily built Njanji yesterday denied masterminding the gang.“I don’t know what you are talking about, I don’t know anything,” he said.

Diners at Chicken Inn drive-through in Famona suburb narrated a hair-raising scene when six heavily armed detectives arrested Adonai Mashonga (32) at around 4PM on Tuesday. “He’s a regular at the joint. He always tells people he is a Central Intelligence Organisation (CIO) operative. We were shocked when he was suddenly surrounded and whisked away by armed police,” said a source who asked not to be named.

Mashonga, a police source said, fingered Njanji and named six other accomplices who are still at large.

Mashonga was found with housebreaking implements and has since made indications at six houses in Pumula, Nketa, Cowdray Park and Emganwini suburbs where he said his gang robbed people.

Two Bulawayo residents who were arrested while using cellphones that had been stolen from one of the osiphatheleni, told police they bought them from Njanji. 

The musician indicated that he bought the cellphones from Mashonga who was in the company of Zibusiso alias Zikhewu.

 Mashonga’s gang is suspected to have raided Mr George Dennise’s home in Pumula East around 8PM on 24 November and ordered everyone to lie on the ground at gun point and demanded cash which was in the house.

Mr Dennise led them to his bedroom where he gave them R4 000, $470 Bond notes and USD $55.

“The robbers ransacked the house and took away four cellphones,” said a source close to the incident.

About five hours later, the gang went to Mr Ishmael Chikarakara’s home in Nketa 9, armed with a pistol, two machetes, an axe and iron bars.

“They forced open the door and ordered Mr Chikarakara to lie down but he resisted. He grappled with one of the robbers and a gang member struck him with a machete on the forehead leaving a deep gash. Following further strikes with the machete on his left hand and right thigh, he relented and lay down facing downwards,” said a source. 

The armed robbers took US$200, R2 000, a 52 inch LG plasma TV set, an HP Laptop, a Samsung double sim cellphone, a Samsung Tablet, a Samsung Galaxy series cellphone, Huawei cellphone, soft drink cans, five dressed chickens and two sets of car keys for a Mercedes Benz and a Nissan X-Trail.

One of the suspects ordered Mr Chikarakara’s wife to strip intending to rape her.

The other gang members allegedly dissuaded him from raping her. 

They tied up Mr Chikarakara and his wife using the hem of a blanket before fleeing from the scene.

The detectives said the stolen property is yet to be fully recovered as the accused alleges that the bulk of the stolen property has since been sold to some buyers only known by his accomplices who are still at large. Njanji is  among the first Zimdancehall artistes to promote road safety.