Armed robbers grab R40 000

A couple, that has been receiving proceeds of a crowd fund, was on Tuesday
morning raided by armed robbers, who made off with more than R40 000 cash in
mixed currencies in addition to several mobile phones and a laptop.
Babongile Gora and her husband, Claude, were surprised by the robbers, who must
have been targeting more than US$3 000 raised by the Beitbridge community.
The money is to save House number 473 Dulivhadzimo lawfully held by loan shark
who lent US$2 000 to the owner, Taurai Amani, now thrown out of the house through
a court order.
The Officer Commanding Beitbridge Police District, Chief Superintendent Tichaona
Nyongo, referred questions to the head of Beitbridge Urban police, Chief Inspector
Masiya.
In turn Masiya advised Ilanga to speak to Nyongo.
In an interview at their residence, Claude said they were, together with his younger
brothers and wives, robbed of a total of R25 200, US$1 110, 10 mobile phones and a
laptop.
He said the money was his private money but the crowd fund is safe and had been
handed over elsewhere for safe keeping.
"We strongly suspect these gunmen were after the money kept by my wife trusted to
take care of a crowd fund. They did not hit anyone else except her. They asked her
to produce the money several times and slapped her," said Claude.
He said he was awake at night around 3am when he heard a loud bang as they
broke in through the kitchen door.
"The gang stormed into the house and first attacked my young brother forcing open
his door. Children had already started screaming and I rushed to secure my
bedroom door which was ajar. This commotion from my brother's bedroom was
disturbing," said Claude.
Soon after ransacking Morgan's room taking US$1000, the gang turned to Claude
and forced open his door which he unsuccessfully tried to secure with a refrigerator.
He said they pointed the muzzle of a pistol to his head and made clear they wanted
money.
"I showed them the money in the house and they kept demanding. They searched
my drawers before turning to my wife. They clapped her several times making
demands but all the money we had amounting to R25 000 is what they had already
robbed us," he said.

Babongile, a reporter and newscaster at community radio, Lotsha FM, was their
main target, which showed they had inside information.
Be that as it may, it was public information she was the custodian of the fund
considering open disclosure was made in a social media platform created to
administer the crowd-fund.
The robbers, who were three in number left for another room, where they stole
US$110 and R200 and two mobile phones.
"They returned after a few minutes threatening to kill us but we maintained they had
collected all we had and that was the truth. Separately, each of the two who had not
received the cash wanted to know how much had been taken suggesting they did
not trust one another."
After about 15 minutes the robbers then force-marched the three women away and
left into the dark. Later the women came back and that is when Claude went to
report.
Beitbridge residents said although it was difficult for anyone to know if any robbery
would occur, the reaction of police did not show any urgency.
He left the station frustrated without a single police officer and went to the home of a
senior policeman.
"I ended up going to the home of a senior officer I knew. That is where i got
reaction," he said.
Some residents of Beitbridge reacted angrily to the lack of urgency displayed by
police and asked for visible police presence.
No arrests have been made.
Meanwhile Beitbridge residents are appealing to lawyers handling the eviction of
Taurai Amani from his house of 43 years to show a human face.
Amani was duped into letting go his house after borrowing $2 000 to meet demands
of what later was found to be a scam.
He was thrown out of his house and has been living in the open outside the home.
"We are trying to speak to the parties involved. It gives a bad image to Beitbridge,"
Town Clerk Loud Ramakgapola said.