Crime Family: Vumbunu sister in court over US$36 000 robbery
TWO women — one of them a sister to the notorious “terror twins,” the Vumbunu brothers, who were implicated in last year’s US$4 million Ecobank heist — have appeared in court facing robbery charges involving US$36 000.
Sekai Vumbunu and Florence Chisiri appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Luke Ncube yesterday, facing two counts of robbery. They were remanded in custody to October 20.
The duo, represented by Miss Tanyaradzwa Kahuni and Mr Dominic Moyo of Tashaya Law Chambers, is accused of playing a central role in the latest heist and allegedly being part of a wider criminal network operating in and around the city.
Prosecutors allege that the two are illegal forex dealers who, during investigations, exposed one of their accomplices in a botched operation.
The pair is linked to a series of armed robberies, including one at Nkolozi Investments, a bureau de change at the CIPF Building in Bulawayo, where they allegedly posed as clients before robbing the premises of US$18 000 and R151 000 in a daring early-morning raid last month.
They are also accused of robbing a patron of US$4 000 and R60 000 during another robbery at a restaurant on the corner of Fife Street and 12th Avenue on August 10.
Two other suspects, Nehemiah Dladla (38) and Simon Dube (28), have been implicated in the robberies. Dladla was arrested in Mbundane suburb after a high-speed police chase, leading to the arrest of Dube near Nketa 6 Service Station. The two later implicated Vumbunu, resulting in her arrest.
The latest arrests have reignited public interest in the Vumbunu crime family, which gained national infamy after the capture of brothers Elijah and Abraham Vumbunu, dubbed the “terror twins”, for their alleged involvement in the US$4 million Ecobank heist in October last year.
The brothers, raised in a polygamous household in Mzilikazi suburb, have long been associated with organised crime, ranging from carjackings to gold heists. Police say their criminal history dates back to the mid-1990s and that several members of their extended family have been implicated in similar offences.
The twins rose to prominence for their ruthlessness and ability to evade law enforcement. Their alleged high-profile crimes include the Mukuru money heist, the How Mine gold robbery, and a string of violent home invasions.
Abraham, who had recently been released from a 14-year prison sentence, allegedly re-joined his brother in planning the Ecobank heist barely two weeks after his release.
The heist, carried out with “movie-style precision,” saw six armed men overpowering Safeguard security guards transporting cash before speeding off along 9th Avenue with trunks of money.
The brothers were later arrested in South Africa in a joint operation between the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the South African Police Service (Saps) and are awaiting extradition.
Herald
