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Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau

Police in Beitbridge have arrested a gang of seven armed robbers that were in the habit of pouncing on local residents, taxi drivers and villagers living close to the Limpopo River.

The group would use machetes, knives, and firearms to subdue their victims.

Matabeleland South police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Thabani Mkwananzi confirmed the arrests today.

He identified some of the gang members all from Beitbridge district as Conscious Gumbo alias Pride Ndou (27) of Mawale village, Philemon Chizani alias Man-fire (28) of Tshitaudze suburb in the border town, Handson Mhlanga (26) of Mawale and Thembani Ncube (26).

The other suspect is a 16-year-old who cannot be named because of his age, while the names of two others were being verified.

“One of the suspects, Philemon Chizani was shot in the leg during a fracas with the police detectives on Sunday in Beitbridge town,” said Asst Insp Mkwananzi.

“Five of the gang members were arrested in Mawale village and Beitbridge town on Sunday when our detectives tracked them.

“The suspects had attacked four people on July 1 in two separate incidents and they were armed with knives, machetes and a pistol.”

Asst Insp Mkwananzi said in the first case, they had robbed a taxi driver and his passenger before stealing a pirate taxi (Honda Fit) they later dumped near Lutumba Business Centre along the road leading to Masvingo.

He said before dumping the Honda Fit, the suspects used it to rob a couple in Mawale of R10 000 in cash and flea markets wares worth thousands of dollars.