Now, another security company, Fawcett Security, finds itself embroiled in controversy following yet another cash-in-transit robbery. This latest incident, occurring just weeks after the Ecobank robbery, raises serious questions about security protocols and the vulnerability of cash-in-transit operations in Zimbabwe.
On October 16th, a Fawcett Security cash-in-transit van transporting US$20,000 from Beitbridge to Mutare fell victim to a brazen theft. The incident unfolded along the Masvingo road, a route increasingly becoming a hotspot for criminal activity. What makes this heist particularly unusual is the involvement of the Fawcett Security guards themselves.
National police spokesperson, Paul Nyathi, revealed a shocking detail: the crew, in direct violation of company protocol, picked up two passengers – a man and a woman – along the route. The passengers, a man picked up at Lutumba Business Centre and a woman at Machiloni in Beitbridge, were allowed to sit in the cargo section of the Isuzu KB250 van alongside the cash box. Two armed security guards were also present in the back of the van with the mystery passengers.
The female passenger disembarked at Rutenga, followed by the male passenger at Ngundu. It was only at Ngundu that the security guards discovered the cash was missing. They immediately returned to Rutenga to file a police report. Detectives from the Mwenezi-based criminal investigations department are currently leading the investigation.
Four Fawcett Security guards – Brine Matsena (30), Benny Nyambi (52), Confidence Tapiwa Chekero (27), and Jefitha Chipo Chipfunde (42) – are currently being questioned by police in connection with the incident. Their presence in the van with the passengers, coupled with the missing cash, has understandably raised significant suspicion.
This is, sadly, not an isolated incident for Fawcett Security. The company has a troubling history of cash-in-transit heists, raising concerns about its operational security measures.
The pattern of robberies involving Fawcett Security extends further back. In April of this year, a Fawcett Security guard and an accomplice were sentenced to 11 years each for their involvement in a US$300,000 heist in Gweru in 2021. A third accused was acquitted. The trio were part of a syndicate that ambushed and robbed the security company. The case highlighted the internal vulnerabilities within Fawcett Security’s operations.
Another high-profile incident occurred in November 2020, when armed robbers hijacked a Fawcett Security cash-in-transit van in Bulawayo, escaping with over ZW$2.1 million, US$3,362, and R7,390. They had earlier hijacked a Mercedes-Benz, using it as a getaway car. Only a small portion of the stolen money (ZW$11,305) was later recovered.
In June 2021, a daring gang of seven robbers targeted the Fawcett Checheche depot in Chipinge, stealing thousands of US dollars, South African Rands, and Zimbabwean dollars. The robbers struck after the Fawcett team had returned from collecting daily takings from local businesses. A source stated: “The team collected USD$6583, R32 110, ZW$11 937 and undisclosed amount of cash from Mukuru money transfer and took the cash to their Checheche depot and secured it in the safe.”
Even further back, in 2013, a Fawcett van transporting US$400,000 to Eastern Highlands Plantations in Manicaland was robbed after being rammed by a truck carrying four armed men.
The repeated targeting of Fawcett Security raises serious concerns about the company’s security procedures and the training of its personnel. The latest incident, with its unusual circumstances involving the security guards themselves, underscores the need for a thorough and transparent investigation.
Interestingly, police have always revealed that insiders are usually involved whenever cash heists take place.
