A brazen daylight robbery saw three armed men ambushing a convoy of cash‑in‑transit (CIT) vehicles transporting gold from How Mine in Bulawayo, making off with more than US $500,000 worth of gold and several firearms.
According to national police, around 7:30 AM, the robbers traveling in a Toyota Hilux GD6, Nissan Hardbody single‑cab, and Nissan March intercepted and blocked the convoy on the Bulawayo How Mine Road at the 21‑kilometre peg. They disarmed security personnel, loaded approximately 11.9 kg of gold(valued at around US $450,000 to US $500,000) and four firearms, then fled the scene amid a barrage of gunfire
The gold was being moved to Fidelity Printers when the robbery took place
A shootout ensued when How Mine’s internal security manager, travelling in a Toyota Fortuner, gave chase and engaged the thieves. During the pursuit, the Nissan Hardbody crashed near Hillside’s Ekusileni Hospital after being struck, enabling the robbers to transfer their loot to the remaining two vehicles before disappearing
Police later recovered the abandoned Nissan Hardbody, uncovering bullet-riddled remains and a revolver. Additional items key sets, spent cartridges, a black glove, a .303 rifle with live rounds, and empty storage boxes were discovered at a nearby abandoned construction site on Folly Road in West Somerton
While no arrests have yet been confirmed, police have launched a full-scale investigation led by Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who warned that the net is tightening around the gang
The heist highlights a disturbing trend in targeted armed robberies in and around Bulawayo. Just weeks earlier, similar attacks claimed US $70,000 from a CBZ Bank branch and R5,000 from a Fidelity Building office
The Zimbabwe Republic Police are appealing to the public for information that could lead to the arrest of the perpetrators and recovery of the stolen gold. Investigators are also exploring whether the heist involved internal collusion from mine or security personnel.
