Bulawayo, Zimbabwe — What was expected to be a major breakthrough in Zimbabwe’s largest cash-in-transit robbery took a surprising turn, as mishandled police work transformed the $4 million Ecobank heist case into a courtroom fiasco.
On July 4, police in Bulawayo announced the arrests of Sibonginkosi Sibanda and Thokozani Zulu, initially linking them to the daring armed robbery. But by afternoon, the charges were quietly downgraded to money laundering, drawing criticism from legal experts and the public alike.
The court session, originally scheduled for the morning, didn’t begin until 4 PM. Zulu was cleared of all charges, while Sibanda — a Safeguard Security Company employee — was formally charged with money laundering and remanded in custody pending a bail ruling on Monday.
In a tense courtroom exchange, defence attorney Prince Butshe-Dube dismantled the prosecution’s case, exposing contradictions in the testimony of the lead investigator, Detective Assistant Inspector Tawedzerwa Shiriyapenga. The detective initially denied arresting the suspects for robbery — only to be contradicted by his own affidavit.
When questioned about properties allegedly linked to Sibanda, including two homes, rural land, and vehicles, Butshe-Dube challenged the claim that these were proceeds of crime. He pointed out that the assets were legally registered in the names of Sibanda’s wife and daughter.
The cross-examination left Shiriyapenga visibly shaken as Butshe-Dube accused him of being underprepared and misinformed.
“You are not equipped to investigate this case… Yet you seek to deprive a man of his liberty,” said Butshe-Dube.
Sibanda’s legal team argued for bail, citing his clean record and the lack of direct evidence.
With one suspect cleared and the other now facing a far lesser charge, the fate of the unsolved Ecobank heist remains uncertain, raising serious doubts about the integrity of the investigation.
