Caretaker fatally assaulted in school robbery

A CARETAKER at Glen View Number 9 Primary School in Harare died after he was attacked by three suspected robbers who raided the school looking for cash after getting wind that school authorities intended to buy a vehicle for the headmaster, police confirmed yesterday.

The incident occurred on Tuesday at about 9.30pm.

Although details were still sketchy yesterday, it is believed that the suspects had obtained information that there were large amounts of cash which were being kept at the school to buy the vehicle.

The three then went to the school in the thick of the night and attacked a security guard before ordering him to lead them to the caretaker’s house where they apprehended him and his wife before assaulting them.

The robbers reportedly took keys from the caretaker which they later used to gain entry into the administration block searching for cash.

They stole cellphones and US$150 cash.

Investigations are still in progress and the deceased has been identified as Aaron Makuva.

Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza confirmed the incident.

“On March 5, 2024 at around 2130 hours, the informant Thomson Njanji aged 71 was on night shift in the company of his workmate Tinashe Prince Muvhawa aged 27 and both are security guards employed by Perfect Movement Security Company, Harare.

“Investigations revealed that Thomson Njanji was sitting in the guardroom adjacent to the main gate while Tinashe Muvhawa was roving around the premises,” he said.

Mr Njanji was later confronted by the three suspects who were wearing face masks and holding iron bars and logs.

“He was assaulted and the robbers threatened to kill him if he refused to comply with their instructions. The robbers took away his Samsung cellphone worth US$40,” Insp Chakanza said.

Mr Muvhawa, who heard some noise and saw the suspects, fled into a nearby maize field.

Sources close to the investigations said the suspects ordered Mr Njanji to lead them to the caretaker’s house and he complied.

Mr Makuva and his wife, Ms Elizabeth Chitombo, were held hostage before they were assaulted with iron bars all over their bodies and sustained bruises and internal injuries.

The suspects stole three cellphones—a Hisense H20, an Itel P37, a Samsung M13 and US$150 from the caretaker’s wife.

Mr Njanji was later tied with shoelaces before being covered with a blanket and the suspects force marched the caretaker to the administration offices which they ransacked before disappearing into the night.

A report was later made to the police who attended the scene while in the company of a team from the Canine Section and Support Unit.

They discovered the caretaker lying unconscious in the bursar’s office bleeding from the nose.

The caretaker and his wife were taken to Sally Mugabe Central Hospital for treatment where Mr Makuva died a few hours later.