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Crime Reporter

The man recently found dead in a car outside Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare has been positively identified as Emmanuel Dylan Matiza, alias Big Dealer, who was on police’s wanted list’for committing a spate of robberies around the Harare in a gang of six.

The silver Honda Fit in which his body was found had been stolen in Parktown, Waterfalls, Harare. Of the five in the suspected gang, he is the second to die with a third under arrest. Police are hunting for the outstanding three.

Matiza was found dead by a security guard at dawn with wounds on the chest and stomach, lying on the back seat of the vehicle which was parked near the hospital’s main gate along Mazowe Street. The car and the injured man were apparently dumped by accomplices who hoped that Matiza would be able to get medical treatment.

Police found several cellphones, housebreaking equipment, a crow bar, a golf club, beer bottles and electrical cables, among other items.

Matiza was identified yesterday and his brother, Denver Matiza, has since been advised. A post-mortem to determine the cause of death will now be conducted.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi could not divulge details on investigations so far.

It has however, been established that Matiza was one of the four suspected armed robbers recently acquitted by Harare regional magistrate Mrs Gloria Takundwa after being accused of being behind the robbery of cash and property worth a total of US$187 000, including two cars, on three different occasions in Harare early last year.

In November last year, Mrs Takundwa cleared the now late Alexio Mupamhura (29), Kallson Mabhonga, Tapiwa Zimbandu and Emmanuel Dylan Matiza on two counts of robbery, and another count of armed robbery.

She acquitted them, saying the State had failed to produce enough evidence linking them to the offences.The gang was accused of robbing Stadic Petroleum (Pvt) Limited of two safes containing US$11 907 and US$129 507 plus another US$928 taken from the drawer at their offices in Mt Pleasant.

That company also lost a 55-inch Telefunken plasma TV, a HP desktop, a DStv decoder, a MacBook desktop, a CCTV DVR and its monitor, three US3000 C Pylon batteries, thirteen 5kW inverters, two 7,2 kW inverters, 26 panel rails, a grinder, a tool kit, a HP laptop and other valuables in the robbery.

Mupamhura, Mabhonga, Zimbandu and Matiza were said to have robbed Natasha Channel Naicker of her Subaru Legacy car on February 8 last year in Braeside, Harare, and Khumbulani Mulenga of his Isuzu KB single cab on February 14.

That Isuzu was used in the armed robbery on the following day in the major raid on the Stadic Petroleum offices at 1 College Road, in Alexandra Park.

In February this year, Mupamhura was shot and killed by police during a shoot-out in Ruwa.

Mupamhura died a few hours after being admitted to Parirenyatwa Hospital while his other accomplice, Deliverance Makomva (21), was arrested after police conducted more investigations.

They were wanted in connection with two armed robberies on December 15 last year and February 7 this year in Harare.

On February 6 detectives from CID Homicide, Harare, received information which linked Alexio Mupamhura to a robbery case which occurred on December 15 last year at Prime Irrigation Company along ED Mnangagwa Road, Highlands, Harare, where a security guard was attacked before a cellphone, five 12-volt lithium batteries, eight solar panels, a 5KW generator and US$700 cash were stolen.

The detectives acted on the information and made a follow up on Mupamhura who arrived at his residence along Chinhoyi Street, Zimre Park, Ruwa, whilst driving a Toyota Wish registration number, AFA 8576 around 8am.

After seeing the detectives, Mupamhura sped off, leading to a shoot-out and a high speed chase with the detectives.

He drove into a maize field where he stopped the vehicle before fleeing while armed with an iron bar.

Mupamhura was later arrested and was found with gunshot wounds on the chest and leg.

During an interview by the police, the suspect implicated Deliverance Nyasha Makomva (20) and five others who were at large. Alexio Mupamhura was referred to Parirenyatwa where he died on admission.

The arrest led to the recovery of the suspects’ getaway vehicle, a Nissan Caravan NV350, registration number AFY 9469, a pellet gun, five bolt cutters, two 14 pounce hammers, three crowbars, various clothes with price tags, four laptops, an HP desktop computer, two solar panels, two 12 volt solar batteries, a lithium battery, three Samsung tablets, a solar light set, three inverters, 2 x 5 litre engine oil, eight pints of engine oil, a LED torch and a pinch bar.

Detectives later arrested Makomva after he had contacted Mupamhura’s wife to meet him at Mabvuku turn-off, along Harare-Mutare Road, where he wanted to give her unidentified property for safekeeping.

Subsequently, detectives recovered clothes with price tags and two lithium batteries from Makomva.

The suspects were further linked to a robbery on February 7 this year at business premises along Sam Nujoma Street, Harare where a security guard and his daughter were attacked before two cellphones, US$5 cash, a solar panel, a 48 volts solar battery, four Baofeng wireless communication radios and a laptop were stolen.

By then police appealed for information leading to the arrest of outstanding suspects, identified as Tendai Ruchiyo, alias T1, Matiza, Carlson Mabhonga and Lloyd Chinembiri.

Early this month, Makomva who has six pending court cases, was back in court facing two more counts of robbery. All six pending cases relate to robbery.

The State said on December 24 last year, Makomva, Ruchiyo, Matiza, Mabhonga, who are on the run, and the late Mupamhura, went to Harare High School where they subdued two guards on duty.

They broke into the school’s main office and stole a Samsung phone, three laptops, a television set and US$200. In another case, the court heard that Deliverance, Lloyd Chinembiri and other gang members raided Maxi Energy company.

They tied the caretaker, who was sleeping in his bedroom.

They stole two laptops, 5×12 volts Gel batteries, 4×48 volts Lithium batteries, 1×3 000 watts Inverter, 1xGrow watt inverter, 1×48 volts 100AH Version batteries, work suits and a raincoat.

The State said Makomva was arrested at Ruwa turn-off while driving a Honda Fit they used as a gateway car.

Several goods were recovered in the car and at his house.