SCHOOLS have emerged as the latest target for armed robbers after scores of learning institutions lost thousands of United States dollars stashed in safes this week.
Police have accused school members of staff of assisting robbers with information.
In an interview with NewsDay yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police investigations have revealed that the robbers were using inside information provided by staff and people linked to the schools.
Encouraging schools to keep cash in banks he said: “Investigations are still underway on the cases of robbery that occurred in schools that were reported to the police. We encourage parents to pay school fees using the bank transfer systems so that schools do not have to keep large amounts of cash in their safes.
“We have noted that some insiders are giving the robbers information about where cash would be kept or other important information to facilitate the robberies.”
On January 6 this year, robbers pounced at George Silundika High School in Bulawayo and stole US$17 280 which was stored in a cash box.
Three days later, armed robbers also pounced on Lomagundi College in Chinhoyi and made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, a motor vehicle, cell phones, laptops and guns used by security guards at the school.
More cases are emerging as the robbers target schools in the latest spate of armed robbers reported across Zimbabwe.
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In a statement, Ariel School in Ruwa reported that on December 29, 2023, armed robbers attacked two school authorities at their private residences.
The robbers then led the two school authorities to the school premises, ransacked the bursar’s offices and stole US$1 500.
Another school, Sacred Heart College lost an undisclosed amount of cash when robbers pounced on its premises on Wednesday this week.
“Thieves broke in, targeting all our offices. At this stage what we know is that some school fees received in the late afternoon from about three parents, club funds, personal monies of our staff, a few laptops and CCTV equipment were stolen.
“The matter is now in the hands of the police who have already started doing their investigations. All our students and resident staff are safe,” the school authorities said in a statement yesterday.
Nyathi disclosed that Sacred Heart College lost US$15 800 to the robbers.
