Illegal money changer loses money in brazen armed robbery incident

Amos Mpofu, [email protected]A 33-year-old illegal money changer from Pelandaba suburb in Bulawayo, was on Sunday robbed at gunpoint of cash amounting to US$4,000 and ZAR60,000 while parked outside a fast food outlet at the corner of 12th Avenue and Fife Street in the city centre.The victim was seated in his white Nissan Note around 6:45 PM, waiting for his food order, when he was approached by three unidentified men.Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Nomalanga Msebele, confirmed the incident.“The complainant was seated in his vehicle when three unknown men approached One attempted to open the driver’s door, which was locked from inside Another then used a metal object to smash the front passenger window before firing four shots at the victim, injuring him on the right palm The complainant fled the vehicle, leaving behind a black bag containing the cash,” said Inspector Msebele.The suspects then took the bag and casually walked away, showing no signs of urgency or fear, despite the brazen nature of the crime.Following the ordeal, the injured victim reported the matter at Bulawayo Central Police Station, and was referred to a hospital for medical attention.Speaking to The Chronicle, the victim said he was still traumatised by the attack and struggling to come to terms with what had happened.“I was traumatised when I realised I was being robbed I’m still in disbelief that it really happened I thank God for giving me the strength to jump out of the car and for the grace that deflected the bullets aimed at me,” he said.The man, who relies entirely on the money-changing trade for survival, said the stolen cash represented his entire working capital.“As we all know, money is our capital in this hustle They destroyed my entire investment I’m stuck now, with nowhere to start from But only God knows,” he added.Other dealers claim this is the third similar incident in as many days, suggesting a targeted spree against illegal currency traders.Share on FacebookPost on XFollow usSave Originally published on Zimbabwe Herald All Zim News is a central hub for all things Zimbabwean, curating news from across the country so no story is missed Alongside aggregation, our team of nationwide reporters provides real-time, on-the-ground coverage Stay informed and connected — reach us at admin@allzimnews.com . Source: Herald