Harare (New Ziana)-The robbery incident at the residence of former CID officer Joseph Nemaisa on Monday was a case of mistaken target as the robbers went to the wrong house, albeit in the same street, the police have said.
A veteran of the CID Homicide department, Nemaisa shot dead three robbers at his residence in Chadcombe after he returned to a distress call from his son that some armed men were trying to break into the house at around 8.30 PM.
Two other members of the gang escaped through a window, taking with them US$850, a laptop, cell phone and a shotgun.
With his history of accounting for robbers during his 19 year service in the police force, observers have raised doubts that the robbers knew that the house they were robbing belonged to Nemaisa.
In a statement, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said they had arrested Shine Nyamhunga who had supplied the armed robbers information that his employer kept cash at his house in Chadcombe.
“The employer stays about four to five houses from Nemaisa’s residence,” he said.
“The attack on Nemaisa’s residence is therefore a case of mistaken identity or target as Shine Tanaka Nyamhunga was in constant touch with Tariro Gora with a view of having his employer targeted by the armed robbers.”
Gora, a rogue soldier who was based at the 1 Commando Regiment, was gunned down together with Charles Chirara and Brian Tendere during the botched robbery.
Chirara was one of over 10 suspects in the US$2.7 million ZB bank cash-in-transit heist in January, and had been released on bail by the High Court while Tendere was once jailed for 12 years for armed robbery and attempted murder.
The two who escaped through a bedroom window, Virimai Nyandoro (37), a serving member of the Zimbabwe National Army, and former police Support Unit Constable Francis Takura (33), have since been arrested.
They are being linked to five counts of armed robbery that occurred in Marondera, Belvedere, Hatfield, Cold Comfort and Mabelreign in the capital where property worth over US$52 300 was stolen.
Police have since recovered an assortment of electrical gadgets and other property from the suspects’ homes.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police warns all criminals that the police has stepped up efforts to pluck them out and bring sanity to all communities,” said Ass Com Nyathi.
New Ziana