Residents of New Lobengula in Bulawayo intervened to stop an armed robbery at Sai Mart on Saturday evening, throwing stones at the robbers and causing them to flee empty-handed.
The armed robbers entered the Sai Mart outlet, formerly Choppies, around 8 PM and fired shots, injuring a shop employee with a gunshot wound to the thigh. In response to the gunfire, the community confronted the armed robbers, forcing them to flee.
Emmanuel Mutoko, a resident, narrated to the <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/residents-stone-armed-robbers-shop-manager-shot-mob-steps-in-to-help/">Chronicle</a> how he scaled a nearby precast wall and hid in a neighbour’s yard as bullets flew in different directions.
The robbers fired indiscriminately at the crowd of residents attempting to stop the robbery. Said Mutoko:
<blockquote>
The shop closes at 8 PM, and as staff were leaving, there was a 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.
</blockquote>
Mutoko said the robbers exploited a malfunctioning tower light to escape into the darkness after realising the residents were determined to stop them. He added:
<blockquote>
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.
</blockquote>
The acting spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP), Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, confirmed the incident. She said:
<blockquote>
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 8:10 PM, 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.
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.
</blockquote>
One of the suspects forced the manager into the strong room and demanded that he open the safe.
When the manager said he didn’t have the keys, the suspect shot him in both thighs. Said Msebele:
<blockquote>
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.
</blockquote>
She urged anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to contact their nearest police station.
Msebele also encouraged business owners to hire security guards from reputable companies to protect their employees and property from criminal activity.

Pindula News

Residents in Bulawayo stopped armed robbers at a shop by throwing stones. The robbers shot at a shop worker, but the community made them run away. The police are investigating the incident. The robbers tried to steal from the shop manager but left empty-handed. The police want any information about the suspects. They also advise businesses to have security guards for safety. The people in the community showed courage and teamwork to protect each other.

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