US$5 000 stolen in supermarket heist

Source: US$5 000 stolen in supermarket heist – herald

Peter Matika, peter.matika@chronicle.co.zw

TWO armed robbers this week pounced on a supermarket in the Kelvin Industrial area in Bulawayo in daylight and got away with US$5 000 cash.

The audacity of the robbers who ordered customers and staff to lie down as they ransacked the premises, has left the local community shaken.

According to witnesses, the incident occurred at around 11am on Monday when the supermarket was full with customers doing their shopping.

The two suspects who are still at large, were reportedly armed with a pistol and wore surgical masks as they stormed the supermarket demanding money from shocked employees.

“It all happened so fast. One moment I was picking up groceries, the next I was ducking for cover,” said a shopper who chose to remain anonymous.

The robbers are said to have threatened staff and customers, creating panic as they emptied the tills and the safe.
“I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It felt like something out of a film,” another witness recounted.
Police have since launched a manhunt for the suspects.

Bulawayo provincial acting police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele confirmed the incident.
“On 5 May 2025, at around 11:40am, two armed robbers wearing surgical masks entered a shop, one of them armed with a pistol. The armed robber then pointed the pistol at customers and ordered everyone including staff members to lie down,” she said.

Inspector Msebele said the robbers then proceeded to collect cash amounting to US$4 600 from tills.
She said after collecting the cash, the other robber went to the cashier’s office and found one of the managers in the office.

“He ordered her to lie down, demanded the keys to the safe and she handed them over. The robber then opened the safe and took all the money inside, along with some which was on the table, amounting to US$417 and ZAR250 before leaving,” said Insp Msebele.

She said the manager ran out to check on the till operators and customers.
“She saw that all the tills had been emptied. A police report was then made and investigations revealed that the suspects fled the scene in a silver Honda Fit without registration plates. The total value stolen is US$5 017 and ZAR250. Nothing has been recovered,” said Insp Msebele.

She said anyone with information that might lead to the arrest of the suspects should contact any nearest police station.
Insp Msebele also urged members of the public and business owners not to keep large sums of money on their persons or premises.

“We appeal to anyone with information that could assist in the arrest of the suspects to contact any nearest police station,” she said.