SECURITY services have launched a large scale operation to apprehend two unknown male adults believed to be former members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA).
The assailants are on the run after gunning down a soldier and leaving the other with life threatening injuries in Chivhu on Saturday.
The ministry of Information on Sunday dismissed reports that the yet to be identified individuals who shot and killed 30-year-old soldier Lorance Mupanganyama, have been apprehended.
“The suspects in the fatal shooting of a member of the ZNA and the critical injury of another in Chivhu have not been apprehended yet. Security services are conducting a large scale operation to bring them to book. Images circulating on Social Media are not related to the case,” the ministry of Information wrote on twitter.
Mupanganya had been deployed to Chivhu Business District on September 5 along with Constable Madzvamuse, Constable Lunzwe, Constable Chiorera and Coporal Zvirevowere to conduct foot patrols and enforce Covid-19 regulations.
“Lance Coporal Mupanganyama was armed with an AK rifle serial number ZA 52410 with a fully loaded magazine of 30 rounds and a reserve magazine loaded with 30 rounds while Coporal Zvirevo was armed with an AK rifle serial number ZA 49103 with a fully loaded magazine of 30 rounds and a reserve magazine loaded with 30 rounds,” police said in an internal memo.
On the same date, the six are said to have proceeded to Chicken Inn Police Base on surveillance.
During the course of the surveillance, one unknown male adult who was wearing a green covid 19 face mask, a black bomber jacket, tattered blue jean trousers and black safety shoes, approached the now deceased and signalled him to meet him outside the Police base and he complied.
The now deceased after learning that the accused had told him that he is an ex-member in the ZNA and not his superior as he anticipated, was angered and went back into the police base where other members were.
“The purported ex-member followed the deceased in the Police base talking to the deceased on top of his voice. All of a sudden the other accused approached at the entrance of the Police base without saying anything he produced a corked pistol and started firing directly at the two army members. After sensing danger the female police officers took cover under the visitors’ bench,” police said.
The two accused persons automatically disarmed the two soldiers and took away the two AK rifles and four fully charged magazines loaded with 30 rounds each.
The two accused got out of the police base and showed off strength by pointing the rifles in the air and people started running in different directions for their safety.
The accused persons ran away on a nearby bush in the eastern direction of the Police base and went away to an unknown destination.
The police officers at the police base sought assistance from members of the public who ferried the two army details to Chivhu General Hospital where Lance Coporal Mupanganyama was pronounced dead.
Coporal Zvirevo was admitted at Chivhu General Hospital.
