Eight machete gang members arrested

Danisa Masuku

Police in Bulawayo have arrested eight machete gang members who terrorised residents and allegedly stole items that included cars , electrical gadgets and cash which all amounted to US$87 735.

A source said the arrest came after police in Bulawayo noted with worry a spike in crime last month. After that the CID homicide squad embarked on an Operation code named: No to heinous crime. As a result the source said eight suspects were arrested while four were still at large.

The source narrated the timeline of robberies carried out by the armed gang members.

On 29 April two suspects scaled over a pre-cast wall before they broke into a house.

“They took a decoder, plasma tv, solar light, four cellphones, a gas cylinder and a carpet, ” said the source.

On 15 May three gang members pounced at a house in Cowdray Park suburb.

“Upon hearing footsteps in the yard the owner got out of his bedroom through a window. Unfortunately some gang members who had remained in the yard pursued him and caught up with him before they forced marched him into his bedroom, they stabbed him and his wife. They took R500,”said the source.

On 17 May four gang members who were armed with machetes and a pistol scaled over a wall at Methodist Church in Matshobana suburb and headed to a security guard.

“They disarmed him before they handcuffed him and tied his legs with shoe laces. They broke into the church through the main door and stole electrical gadgets which they loaded into the church car.They drove off with the loot,” said the source.

On 27 May four accused persons pounced on a house in Mahatshula suburb and got away with US$5000, cellphone and a pellet gun. On the same day they headed to a company situated in the city centre, they found the owner of the car alone and pointed a gun at him.

“They took US$400 and drove off in his car,” said the source.

On 31 May four suspects who were armed with a pistol and an axe again pounced at a house in Cowdray Park and stole three cellphones, refrigerator, 30 kg chicken heads and 10 packs of chicken meat and a car before they drove off.

On 8 June five gang members who were armed with a pistol , machetes and a knife broke into a house in Suburbs, the owner of the house was woken up by plates which he heard dropping in the kitchen.

Upon checking he saw robbers, they warned him not to scream. They demanded cash.

“They took US$1300 and R1000 which was in the wardrobe, four cellphones, blankets worth R4000, groceries and a plasma tv, ” said the source.

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