Police arrest one suspect in Nyamandlovu roadside rape and armed robbery
POLICE in Bulawayo have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with a violent armed robbery and rape incident that occurred along Nyamandlovu Road on Monday afternoon.
Khumbulani Vincent Gama of Njube was apprehended today following an intensive manhunt by CID Vehicle Theft Squad detectives. He is alleged to have been part of a three-man gang that attacked a couple parked along the Mbuyazwe stretch of Nyamandlovu Road at around 5pm on 31 March.
Narrating the details of the couple, Bulawayo Provincial Police Spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said: “On 31 March 2025 at around 1700 hours, the complainant, a male adult aged 37 years of Pelandaba West, Bulawayo, was with his girlfriend, a female adult aged 26 years of Nketa 7, Bulawayo, driving out of town along Nyamandlovu Road. While they were in Mbuyazwe along Nyamandlovu Road, they parked their car on the side of the road, disembarked, opened the load box and sat on it.”
Assistant Inspector Msebele said the couple were then approached by three accused persons who appeared from the western direction along Nyamandlovu Road and accused the complainant of stealing cattle in their area.
“The accused persons grabbed the complainant and wrestled with him for about 10 minutes. One of the accused persons then produced a black pistol and hit the complainant twice on the back of the head with the butt of the pistol. Another accused person produced an okapi knife and stabbed the complainant twice on each side of the buttocks, resulting in him sustaining two deep cuts on the back of the head and stab wounds on the buttocks.”
Assistant Inspector Msebele said the accused persons then force-marched the complainant and his girlfriend into the bush, where they tied their hands and legs with cables and string. One accused person went back to the car, leaving the others guarding the complainants. He ransacked the car, took four Samsung Galaxy mobile phones and cash amounting to US$1,000 from a wallet in the dashboard.”
Assistant Inspector Msebele added that: “The accused person guarding the complainants then took the complainant’s girlfriend to a secluded place and raped her. The accused person who had gone to the car returned, gave the complainant his bank cards and driver’s licence, and they drove away in the complainant’s car, leaving the victims behind.”
The victims eventually freed themselves and walked approximately 3KM along Nyamandlovu Road towards Bulawayo before getting assistance from passing motorists who took them to police.
Assistant Inspector Msebele said on Tuesday, CID Vehicle Theft Squad detectives in Bulawayo received information about the suspects’ whereabouts, leading to Khumbulani Vincent Gama’s arrest.
“During questioning, he admitted committing the offence and led police to recover two iPhones and a Huawei P40 mobile phone hidden in grass in the bush” said Assistant Inspector Msebele.
She said police are searching for two accomplices: Darlington Gama, a 24-year-old male from Cowdray Park, Bulawayo, and Lunga Runtsweke, whose details remain unknown.
Assistant Inspector Msebele appealed to anyone with information that may lead to the arrest of the accomplices to visit their nearest police station.
“Members of the public are advised not to park their vehicles in secluded areas as they risk being targeted by robbers.” The Chronicle
