Airtime vendor faints twice after US$ 1 854 disappears from safe

A 26-YEAR-OLD Harare airtime vendor collapsed and fainted twice on Wednesday morning when she discovered that her shop had been broken into the previous night and US$1 854 that she had locked inside a cash box had been stolen.

Pelostag Muruki of 91 Bank Street opposite the Market Square received a call from Bridgitah Makoni around 8am on Wednesday morning informing her that there was a break-in at the shop which they share with five other occupants. Another tenant in the shop had cellphones worth US$6 335 stolen at the same time.

Muriki dashed to the shop from her house in Waterfalls and upon arrival, she discovered that the makeshift safe in which she kept her daily takings was open and empty, she collapsed and fainted.

Her co-tenants had to fan her to revive her but when she regained consciousness and the shock of the loss returned, she fainted again.

The money had been locked in a cash box, which was fixed to the wall and covered by a cardboard box. The cash box also contained airtime scratch cards worth US$3 634 which the thieves did not take but left strewn on the floor.

A small square hole could be seen gaping in the ceiling, through which the thief is suspected to have entered from the roof, suggesting that the person had intricate knowledge about the shop.

Muriki shares the shop with Bridgitah Makoni, Norma Gwanzura, Emlia Makaza, Rutendo Sofazi and Thelma who sell other wares. Makoni, who was the first to arrive at the shop and called Muriki, lost 47 cell phones worth US$6 335 and US$24 cash during the break-in.

She said, “I reported the case to the police who asked for the serial numbers for all the stolen phones and I gave them,” she said.

Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Simon Chikanza confirmed receiving the report, adding investigations were underway.”

“Cases like these are treated as two cases although it happened at the same time and under the same roof.”

Muriki said she was a registered airtime vendor and she keeps her money in the cash box at work because she considered it to be the safest place.

“It is too risky to move around with money because a lot of people know that an airtime vendor handles a lot of money every day,” she said.

She said she and her husband decided to sell their house for US$9 500, used US$4 500 to buy another stand and invested the remaining US$5 000 into the airtime business.

“I wish if I could get my US$1 854 back. I also wish the thief gets caught and the law is applied to him.”

Muriki had not yet reported the theft to the police by the time of the interview but said she would be doing so as soon as possible.

The police are on record urging people to deposit money at the banks as thefts and robberies were on the increase with the majority of cases involving people with inside information about the cash and where it was kept