FARAI CHITOTOMBE
MASVINGO-Zimbabwe Republic Police`s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Masvingo branch has managed to resolve some crime cases committed in 2022 and part of 2023 that had given them sleepless nights.
The highlight of the revelations was the arrest of Nelson Matsvange in Chiredzi who was caught after 7 days of tirelessly manhunt.
Matsvange was wanted for 25 counts of armed robbery cases committed all over Masvingo and upon his arrest, an AK47 rifle was recovered in the process, Detective Chief Inspector Hazvinei Jindu revealed in a statement.
Another high profile case that had given headache to security agency in Masvingo Urban and the surroundings is that of Tafadzwa Kanengoni aka …who was arrested for armed robbery and murdering a Mucheke tuckshop owner in Masvingo City and fled after committing the heinous crime and was found cohabiting with a sex worker in the neighbouring mining town of Zvishavane.
“Last year we had a spate of robbery cases known as carry-carry which were committed along the highway from Harare to Masvingo.
“Where the criminals would purport to be genuine commuters seeking transport at Mbudzi Bus Stop and they would tie victims mbiradzakondo style, undress them, take their valuables and cash then dump their victims.
“In Mushagashe area CID Masvingo arrested team Rambique who helped in clearing 20 robbery cases for Masvingo, Harare and Chivhu and since then, highway robberies are now a thing of the past in our area,” said Jindu.
“Three of the six member gang were the ones infamously known as the Gidi sisters. Pressure mounted on the Gidi family to the extent that the third sister surrendered herself to CID Masvingo in the company of the mother,” Jindu added.
Homesteads in Masvingo were also terrorized for quite sometime with fierce criminals until the CID Masvingo arrested two notorious criminals who were rampaging Mogenster area, Masvingo CBD, farms in the area and schools which was stopped when the CID team cleared.
A staggering 18 counts of unlawful entry and recovery of 15 solar panels, 35 cellphones, school tracksuits, laptops and some of the stolen property was recovered from as far as Bulawayo.
CID Masvingo also revealed an 8 year old kid was kidnapped on his way from school and the officers had to strategically invade Bikita and managed to lure the kidnapper who was demanding an ransom of US$5000 to release the child that he had held for 48 hours as a hostage.
The detectives appeared to the kidnapper disguised with skirts, lipstick, and wigs which helped them to recover the child although the kidnapper managed to escape in the darkness of the night.
“CID Masvingo also works in liaison with sister stations,” said Detective Jindu.
“At one time we arrested an accused person for theft of motor vehicle in Harare who also had escaped and went to Chivi in hiding and the arrests were made after a serious shootout with the criminal,” she added.
Jindu narrated the arrest of some eight accused persons for murder of an ex-member driver, Muchakata murder, Zimuto murder which was confirmed on Christmas eve of 2022, robbery and rape in Mashava area.
Recently on the Zaka murder, the accused had fled to Nemamwa for two weeks where he had started working there as madzibaba.
In a different case the CID also recovered US$1000 after lengthy interrogation which was hidden in underpants by the accused that she had stolen from her employer.
