Police launch manhunt for three fugitive robbers

by Staff Reporter

2013 January 07 09:45:35 | 3004 Views

POLICE have launched a manhunt for two of the three armed robbers who were recently involved in two shootouts and a high-speed chase with detectives in Harare city centre. According to police the whereabouts of the two, Clever Mununudzi Nengomasha, alias Paul Simon Chitakura and the other only identified as Mudzingwa, were still unknown.

Their other accomplice Peace Mutema alias Batista who was wanted for a spate of armed robberies in Harare and Bulawayo was shot and killed on New Year's Eve after detectives received a tip-off that he was meeting a relative in the middle of the night in the city centre.

A pistol stolen from Bulawayo was recovered beside his body.

Mutema, who was alone at the time, was approached by detectives at a city hotel and he fired shots towards them.

He fled from the scene and police gave chase before he disappeared into a sanitary lane but police dogs were set in.

Mutema came out of the sanitary lane after being mauled by the dogs but he continued firing shots towards the detectives and was shot several times on the chest, shoulders and both legs. He died on the spot.

Sources close to the investigations yesterday said they believed that Nengomasha and Mudzingwa could have fled the country to a neighbouring country.

The trio's first contact with police was on Boxing Day when Mutema, Nengomasha and Mudzingwa were involved in a shoot-out with the police after they were confronted near Karigamombe Centre in the city.

The trio was travelling in a Mazda Familia and detectives received information that they had parked their vehicle near the premises.

It is alleged that they fired shots towards the detectives resulting in a high-speed chase but they managed to escape.

The trio once pounced on a shop in Bulawayo and stole US$450 in cash and airtime recharge cards worth US$191 000.

Mutema and Nengomasha also pounced on Pacific Holdings in Bulawayo and got away with US$10 000 cash, 65 000 rand, a Toyota Camry, a pistol and three cell phones.

They later dumped the car in Harare's Greendale suburb.

On Christmas Eve, Mutema, Nengomasha and Mudzingwa, pounced on Total Service Station in Harare and got away with US$1 400 cash. They were travelling in a silver Mazda Familia.

Last week, their three other accomplices who allegedly raided a fuel service station in Bulawayo at gunpoint and got away with more than US$2 000 appeared in court.

Surprise Phiri (31) of 4221 Gwabalanda and Robson Senziwayo (24) of 31327 Entumbane, were remanded to their hospital beds at the United Bulawayo Hospitals where they are admitted while Webson Sibanda (27), of 4221 Gwabalanda, appeared at the Bulawayo magistrate's court.

Phiri was shot on the leg and Senziwayo on the buttocks when the two attempted to escape on 22 December.

The trio allegedly pounced on Amtec Motors trading as Total Service Station along 12th Avenue in the company of Nengomasha and Mutema.

Nengomasha has been on the police wanted list and has been hiding in South Africa.

Police manhunt

Source: TH