By Rex Mphisa
ARMED robbers in the dead of last night struck at Chicago Village officially known as Chamnanga Business Centre where a man was shot and others were assaulted and stripped of cash and valuables.
The shooting victim Peter Sibanda whose home is a few metres from the business centre said he was shot while at the door by a single bullet which hit him on the calf.
“The bullet is still lodged in my leg. I was holding the door when I heard noise outside and the dogs barking. They shot through the door and hit my leg,” Sibanda told Ziyah News Network.
He said they went away with R3 000.
“I had just come from collecting rentals. It appears someone informed them. They spoke in Venda and Karanga an were very rude. Three came into the house in balaclavas while I was able to count another four who stood outside. They were not even deterred by dogs,” he said.
He said they took their time.
After stripping Sibanda of his cash the robbers casually walked away but today a relative noticed a dog and some puppies were missing suggesting they may have been stolen.
At another house they even called a brother in law of their victim with his nickname.
“At home people call me Tsano because I am a brother to the victim’s wife. Here they had all their time and fired several shots. They entered through the small gate and passed in our room taking all gadgets and the little cash. They later went to my brother in law where they fired several shots,” said Tawanda Dube.
“They spoke Venda and Shona. One even called me “tsano” which is the name people here use to call me. I did not recognise their masked faces. I also could not establish whose voice called me tsano,” said Dube.
He said they could have fired seven shots and police could have picked three spent cartridges in his presence.
Investigations by this publication showed earlier the suspects may have attempted another home where they were deterred by the owner’s pack of dogs.
Villagers at Chamnanga, 10 kilometres outside Beitbridge, have been disturbed.
“We are living in fear, we hope police are able to account for these people,” said one villager.
Efforts to get comment from police at Beitbridge were fruitless while the police press officer for Matabeleland South Inspector Dube said she was on leave.