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the dramatic episode largely went unnoticed to the residents. Yet, its latter parts and subsequent media coverage thrust them closer to the front-row seat of crime-fighting. The experience was hardly pleasant! Most of the residents now live in fear of a repeat of the nerve-wracking episode. “At first, I thought the sound was emanating from fire crackers. I later investigated, and discovered the street was littered with police details,” said a resident who declined to be identified.“The entire episode was scary. It was as though it was taken from a movie script. From that day on, people here are afraid. We even lock our gates during the day; one can never be too sure of what could happen next.”Timba was on the police wanted list after being linked to a series of armed robberies in Harare and Bulawayo, among other places. His shooting by police detectives at his Queensdale hideout on January 5 remains a talking point across the suburb and beyond. Timba is still admitted at Parirenyatwa Hospital under police guard. His case will be heard in court on January 24.Information gathered from police last week suggests he skipped the country to avoid arrest. It appears 43-year-old Timba felt South Africa made him untouchable.Indeed, the “long arm” of Zimbabwean law seemed distant. Yet detectives were alert, always on the lookout for him. On the day in question, an informant rang the police after seeing Timba venture in and out of a certain house on different occasions. The suburb kept its usual calm. Residents paced up and down its streets. Even Timba himself was probably off-guard. It was just an ordinary day, or so it appeared. At around midday, two special police units swooped on the house.“An armed police unit clad in anti-riot gear and another with vicious dogs encamped around the place,” said another resident, who preferred anonymity.“It appears he (Timba) was unaware of the police presence.” It is understood a team of six detectives was also at the scene. Four of the detectives scaled the security wall at the house while the remainder kept watch outside. Timba suddenly realised what was happening.He panicked and tried to hide in the ceiling. The detectives ordered him to surrender, but he remained defiant as he drew a pistol, readying himself for a serious battle.The detectives are said to have fired warning shots: the cheeky Timba returned fire.Two police reaction teams had to be summoned to deal with the menace. An exchange of gunfire followed with the dog section also intervening.“He came down from the ceiling on the pretext that he wanted to surrender. He, however, rushed into the bathroom and locked himself up. But this was after the dogs had had a go at him,” said a detective who attended the scene.“We believed that he was going to surrender. Our motive was not to kill but apprehend him. We, nonetheless, had to shoot through the bathroom door to get to him.” Timba was shot once in the abdomen. Once all was clear, agents moved in. Blood was splattered on the walls while Timba lay on the floor, writhing in pain.His pistol lay close by, lacking its master’s finger to pull the trigger.This was the end of the road.Police questioned his wife who was at the house throughout the shootout. They also came across stolen goods. “It was at around 1500 hours when the gunshots stopped. Police officers could be heard ordering him to surrender,” said another of the suspected armed robber’s neighbours.“At around 1530 hours, a police car drove out of the yard, carrying the suspected criminal. I did not know the characters involved. I later learnt that Richard was the one involved in the shootout with police.” When The Sunday Mail visited Queensdale last week, calm had returned to the neighbourhood. Most gates were locked, even during the day. A palpable sense of fear lingered.The aftermath of the mini-battle was as real as the shootout. A man who identified himself as Timba’s younger brother stood at the entrance to the house, the scene of the shootout.He declined to comment.It turned out that Timba was a regular patron at Queensdale Shopping Centre, a short distance from his hideout.A vendor described him as a “quiet gentleman”.“He was like a brother to me. He would come here and buy me lunch at a local supermarket. We would talk about football, politics and whatever topic for hours. He was a sober person,” recounted the vendor.“Last year, he offered to take me to South Africa where he would help me secure a job. After the Saturday incident, I am still shocked that Richie was on the police wanted list.” National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said law enforcement agents would shoot to kill defiant armed robbers. She also urged members of the public to report known criminals.“It is our duty as a police force to bring robbers to book. We have a lot of armed robbers on the police wanted list. We have to warn them that their days are numbered,” she said.“Our units will not hesitate to shoot to kill any cornered armed robbers who defy the order to surrender as well as warning shots. These robbers are now dangerous to both the public and the police.”
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Article publié le dimanche 13 janvier 2013
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