By Shiana Mhizha
Officers at Marondera Police Station recently got a rare gift when an armed robber who had been on their wanted list for months handed himself in, claiming to have become tired of life on the run.
The once-notorious robber also told the police officers that he deserved to be punished for causing untold suffering on many people. Simon Chitsungo (40), believed to be the leader of a four-man gang that terrorised Mashonaland East for years, made an unexpected appearance at the police station two weeks ago.
Mashonaland East provincial police spokesperson Inspector Bulisani Bhebhe confirmed the incident, adding that Chitsungo will appear in court soon on several counts of armed robbery. “We were pleasantly surprised by this rare incident. It does not normally happen that a person who is on the run comes to surrender,” he said.
Insp Bhebhe said the other suspected gang members were arrested three months ago and were assisting police with investigations. However, those investigations were leading nowhere because of the absence of their leader whom they all claimed had the finer details of the crimes.
Now that Chitsungo has been arrested, police believe they will be able to clear several armed robbery cases the gang is believed to have committed.
“When we asked him why he had decided to surrender himself to the police after months of being on the run, Chitsungo told us that he felt he deserved to be behind bars and was tired of running,” said Insp Bhebhe.
