SA, Zim police join forces to extradite R70 million heist suspects

South African authorities have teamed up with Zimbabwean police to fast-track the extradition of suspects accused of the R70m robbery.

South African police, working in partnership with Zimbabwean law-enforcement agencies, are pushing for the extradition of suspects believed to be behind a high-profile US$4 million (approximately R70 million) heist.

Addressing the media in Bulawayo on Wednesday, authorities said they are “working flat out” to extradite the Vumbunu brothers.

The brothers, Elijah and Abraham Temay Vumbunu, are the alleged masterminds of Zimbabwe’s biggest cash heist.

Extradition of another suspect linked to the robbery

Zimbabwean authorities have already secured the extradition of one of the alleged robbers from Botswana.

The suspect is a 40-year-old Bhekani Mlilo, one of the alleged robbers, from Botswana.

A Bulawayo court remanded Mlilo in custody to December 5 after he appeared last week.

Prosecutor Concilia Ncube provided details of the heist.

She explained that Mlilo, alongside accomplices including the notorious Vumbunu brothers, as well as Simon Xola Ngcobo, Menzeli Mpofu, Khalid Ntimen, and others still at large, planned the robbery on 3 October 2024.

“They drove a white Ford Ranger registered in the name of Nomsa Aneline Zingela. Before the robbery, they changed the South African number plate to a Zimbabwean one and drove to the Ecobank branch at the corner of 9th Avenue and Fife Street in Bulawayo,” Ncube said.

Police working on extradition of Vumbunu brothers

Zimbabwe’s National police spokesman Commissioner Paul Nyathi said legal processes were still underway to bring the Vumbunu brothers back to Zimbabwe.

South African police arrested the brothers on 5 July.

“There are clear procedures and protocols to be followed. You can’t just take anybody without observing legal requirements,” Nyathi said of the extradition process. “In South Africa, they have to appear before the courts there before being remanded to Zimbabwe.”

Police suspect inside job

Nyathi said said police are now certain the robbery involved ‘inside people’.

“It is clear. We now know they were working with inside people,” he said.

“We’ve been seeing cases where inside information is used. That is why we are urging companies, including financial institutions, to vet their employees.”

Nyathi cited a recent case involving a bakery where a driver sent to collect US$10,000 allegedly connived with relatives to stage a robbery.

“Sometimes people stage robberies,” he warned. “Companies must not take things for granted. We must stop allowing employees to work with outsiders and steal from the company’s investment.”