Armed robbers opened fire in Bulawayo’s city centre, Saturday, minutes after robbing a suspected illegal foreign currency dealer of an undisclosed amount of cash stashed in a bag.
The incident happened along Josiah Tongogara between 10th and 11th avenues around 12 noon.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the armed robbers were driving a Honda Fit and one of them disembarked from the vehicle and went to the car where the suspected foreign currency dealer was sitting inside and snatched a bag full of cash.
“The armed robbers were driving a Honda Fit. One of them disembarked and approached the foreign currency dealer who was seated inside his vehicle. He smashed the window on the driver’s side and took a bag full of cash before dashing back to the getaway vehicle,” said the source.
“The other money changers who were parked nearby pursued the robbers’ car. There was a high-speed chase along 11th Avenue. The next thing we heard gunshots, four of them forcing the money changers to retreat.”
The source said police were called and they arrived shortly after to carry out their investigations.
“Initially the rumour was the stolen bag contained about ZAR10 000 but some reports say they could have been at least ZAR200 000 in the bag. The amount hasn’t been ascertained yet,” the source said.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Abednico Ncube said they have not yet received the report.
Earlier this month, police reported that the city had encountered 32 armed robbery cases between March and June 2021.
