Two armed robbers pounced at Hamara fruit and vegetable supermarket along Fife street between 3rd and 4th avenue in Bulawayo, yesterday and got away with over US$13 000 and R8 000, police have confirmed.
The incident occurred around 9 am.
The total value of cash taken is US$ 13 242, R8 892, and ZWL $5 840.
Bulawayo Police Spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said the two suspects entered the supermarket armed with pistols and ordered everyone to lie down on the ground.
He said the suspects went on to grab an employee and pointed a gun on his head and demanded money and he led them to an office where they kept the money and ordered the safe to be opened
“The complainant two complied and gave them cash amounting to over US$11000 plus over R6000 and over ZW$5000.”
“They proceeded to another office where there was a safe and ordered complainant two to open the safe and she complied and took US$210,” said Inspector Ncube.
Insp Ncube said the suspects started kicking another employee on his belly and demanded keys to the manager’s safe but he told them that he does not have them and they force-marched him to the manager’s office.
They forced another employee to open the safe but it was empty.
“The accused persons then went back to the tills where they collected more cash from the three tills amounting to US$1 150 and R2 000 and left the scene,” said Inspector Ncube.
The employees later filed a report at ZRP, Bulawayo Central, and the police attended the scene.
Inspector Ncube urged businesses not to keep large sums of money in their premises.
“We also urge the business community to always to bank their cash frequently to remove large amounts of cash from their workplaces and put as many armed security guards as they can to protect property. We also praise the way the four complainants complied with the armed robbers to save their lives,” he said.
