Police shoot two dead, arrest 3 in connection with Bulawayo cop’s murder

BULAWAYO
–
Police
in
Bulawayo
have
shot
two
dead
and
further
arrested
three
suspects
who
are
part
of
a
gang
linked
to
the
callous
killing
of
their
colleague
last
week
and
a
spate
of
armed
robbery
cases
in
the
country’s
second
largest
city.

In
a
statement
on
Wednesday,
police
spokesperson
Commissioner
Paul
Nyathi
confirmed
Sipho
Ncube,
24,
and
Dumisani
Ndlovu,
32,
died
in
a
shootout
with
detectives
as
they
tried
to
escape
when
the
gang
was
cornered
in
Bulawayo’s
Saucetown
suburb.

Three
others
Mandlenkosi
Albert
Munangati,
26,
Clifford
Desmond
Nare,
33,
and
Thabo
Dube,
24,
are
in
police
custody
following
their
arrest
after
a
tip-off
from
the
public.

The
suspects
are
linked
to
the
killing
of
Sergeant
Abel
Masava,
43,
who
was
shot
dead
in
Sizinda,
Bulawayo
just
after
midnight
on
Friday.

The
slain
cop
had
gone
out
to
attend
a
domestic
violence
incident
in
the
high
density
suburb
when
he
got
fatally
shot
after
solely
confronting
the
suspects
he
had
come
across
as
he
waited
in
the
car
outside
a
home
where
his
colleagues
had
gone
to
resolve
the
domestic
quarrel.

Nyathi
said
the
firearm
used
to
kill
Masaya
has
been
recovered
from
the
suspects
who
are
also
linked
to
a
spate
of
armed
robbery
cases
which
occurred
in
Bulawayo
between
22
April
2024
and
28
March
2025.

According
to
Nyathi,
detectives
on
Sunday
cornered
the
gang
after
receiving
information
which
linked
a
Honda
Fit
vehicle,
registration
number
AGG
8380
to
the
murder
case
and
a
spate
of
armed
robbery
cases
in
Bulawayo.

“The
detectives
tracked
the
vehicle
leading
to
the
arrest
of
Mandlenkosi
Albert
Munangati,”
Nyathi
said.

“The
suspect
implicated
the
other
suspects
leading
to
their
arrest
and
recovery
of
five
firearms,
National
Browning
pistol,
Blow
F92
Blank
pellet
gun,
Long
Rifle
12GA
76/3
inch
long,
Vizor
Pistol,
shot
gun
and
a
sword.

“Two
other
suspects,
Sipho
Ncube,
24,
and
Dumisani
Ndlovu,
32,
tried
to
escape
resulting
in
a
shoot
out
with
detectives
along
Harrow
Street,
Saucetown,
Bulawayo.
The
two
suspects
died
upon
admission
at
United
Bulawayo
Hospitals.”

Nyathi
said
the
suspects
were
being
linked
to
25
cases
of
armed
robbery
including
a
case
which
occurred
at
a
supermarket
in
New
Luveve
on
28
December
2024,
where
cash
and
three
cell
phones
were
stolen
and
another
robbery
case
which
occurred
at
a
funeral
parlour
in
Kelvin
North,
Bulawayo
on
10
February
2025
where
US$3,608
and
ZAR21,130
cash
and
a
cell
phone
were
seized.

The
suspects
have
also
been
linked
to
a
robbery
incident
which
occurred
at
a
service
station
at
corner
Nketa
drive
and
Rangemore
Road
on
2
March
2025
during
which
a
shot
gun
and
a
cell
phone
were
stolen.

According
to
police
investigations,
Nyathi
said,
the
suspects
were
targeting
fuel
stations,
liquor
outlets,
supermarkets,
funeral
parlous
and
gas
operators.