Two women are currently receiving treatment at Mpilo Hospital in Bulawayo after surviving multiple gunshots at a mine in Inyathi, Matabeleland North on Tuesday morning.
The victims who have been identified as Edith and Nonhlanhla Ndlovu and are related, were asleep in a cabin at Lusinga mine when two suspected armed robbers broke in and shot at them before robbing them of US$620 and two cell phones.
The women work at a tuckshop located within the mine premises.
Matabeleland South Police spokesperson Inspector Glory Banda confirmed the incident and said both women are in stable condition.
“It happened on 11 October around 1 am, the two accused persons are not known, they first shot a bullet through the hole of the cabin at the mine and then they used a metal bar to gain entry,” said Inspector Banda.
He said the robbers got away with two cell phones, an iPhone and a Hisense and US$620.
“They were only given the money after shooting at the two women. One of the criminals shot at them indiscriminately, and it was later discovered after they had gone to Mpilo hospital that Edith had nine bullets in her right arm,” said Inspector Banda.
He said efforts by other mine workers to track down the suspects did not yield any positive results.
“They only got the US$620 and two cell phones and they left but the mine workers had to try to track the robbers and they only discovered that these people had parked their vehicle at Lingo mine, so they drove from Lingo mine towards Bulawayo but now the particulars of the vehicle or type of vehicle are not given,” said Inspector Banda.
He urged members of the public not to fight with armed robbers lest they lose their lives.
“Where possible, they should capture things such as the number plates of the vehicles and also the description of the accused persons as well as the language used.”
Inspector Banda also encouraged companies to install Closed-Circuit Televisions (CCTVs) on their premises.
“Whenever they use CCTVs, they should try to put servers away from the same premises where these CCTVs are installed,” he said.
