Nine Including Police Officers Face Armed Robbery Charges

Nine people, including two Zimbabwe Republic Police officers stationed at Inyathi, appeared in court facing armed robbery charges over the alleged hijacking of a carbon-loaded truck in March, Daily News reported. Tarifirenyika Mafuruse, 45, and Privilege Dliwayo, 32, appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mathew Mutiro. The suspects face accusations that they used police authority to facilitate the robbery, escalating scrutiny of criminal infiltration within law enforcement and the protection of illicit supply chains. Prosecutors are assembling evidence linking the officers to the hijacking network and the movement of stolen cargo. The case intensifies institutional pressure on the police to demonstrate that armed crime syndicates cannot operate with official protection. It also raises urgent questions about vetting, oversight, and internal discipline within the force.