A security guard from Tshitavha tsha Sambandou had a close shave after he was kidnapped by armed robbers while he was on duty at Tshitavha Bar Lounge in the early hours of Sunday, 22 January.
Tshimangadzo Mukhinindi said that at around 01:15, he was sitting next to patrons who were drinking beer when two armed robbers in a white Toyota Etios barged in. The men walked straight up to him and demanded that he give them his cellphone and the keys to the bar lounge.
"They produced firearms and demanded the keys. I told them that I didn't have the keys to the bar, so they forced me into the boot of their car. While I was lying in the boot, I heard several gunshots. They sped away with me still in the boot. They stopped at Sambandou Diambele and threatened to shoot me if I didn't give them the keys to the bar, but again I told them that I didn't have it. Then they instructed me to run without looking back, so I ran as fast as I could to Tshitavha," he said.
When he got back to the bar lounge, he found that one of the patrons, Dakalo Mundalamo, had been shot in the leg. The police and EMS were called, and the injured man was rushed to hospital.
Police spokesperson Constable Vuledzani Dathi said they were investigating a case of kidnapping and attempted murder. "We appeal to members of the community who can assist with information about the whereabouts of the robbers to contact the nearest police station," he said.