Zimpapers Logo

Crime Reporter

A 41-year-old suspected burglar was beaten to death by a mob in Goromonzi when he was found stealing a television set.

Police are now investigating so they can arrest those who assaulted the thief instead of just effecting a citizen’s arrest and handing him over.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said Tinashe Mangwende unlawfully gained entry into a house in Goromonzi on Saturday and stole a 42-inch television set but was caught red-handed and then beaten to death.

Citizens can arrest anyone caught red-handed stealing or caught while committing crimes of assault ranging from common assault all the way up to rape and murder, and can even arrest someone just about to assault someone else, but they still have to use minimum force, keep the suspects safe and unarmed although they can tie them up, and hand the suspects over to the police at the first possible opportunity.

Meanwhile, two more suspected copper cable thieves, Abraham Saidi (28) and Addington Magana (26), were arrested early Sunday morning in Mount Hampden after being found digging a trench along a railway line to extract a 24m Zesa cable at around 1am

“Police in Marlborough reacted swiftly to a crime tip off and arrested Abraham Saidi and Addington Magana for theft of a 24-metre long Zesa armoured cable along a railway line in Mt Hampden.

“The suspects and their two accomplices who ran away, were found digging a trench to extract the cable,” Asst Comm Nyathi said.

He said on Sunday again, members of the police who were on patrol arrested Methembe Mpofu (33) for a robbery the previous day at a house in Njube, Bulawayo.

The suspect was found in possession of an iPhone 6 cellphone which had been stolen from the complainant’s house. Police in Glendale arrested another suspected armed robber, Vincent Muchenje (36), who was part of a four-member gang that attacked security guards at Rujeko High School before stealing groceries and a Honda Fit vehicle on Sunday around midnight.

The suspect is assisting police with investigations while a manhunt has been launched for the other three suspects who are still at large.