Soldier blows bonus in bet shop…. sneaks back to steal cash

File picture of presidential guard units armed with AK47 rifles 

A member of the Zimbabwe National Army attached to the military police lost his bonus at a betting shop in Bulawayo and was later captured on Closed Circuit Television sneaking into the same shop where he allegedly stole $342.

Munyaradzi Linos Tamayi, based at One Brigade Headquarters in the city, allegedly blew his 13th cheque at Soccer Shop, Horse Racing and Sport Betting, corner Fort Street and Leopold Takawira Avenue, on Monday last week, the day soldiers received their bonuses. He lost $380 during the day and “recouped the loss” at around 7PM.

Sources said Tamayi, who is still at large, used “military tactics” to bypass security systems at the shop. Yesterday, The Chronicle caught up with Soccer Shop, Horse Racing and Sport Betting manager Constance Ndlovu who narrated how Tamayi broke into the shop.

She said the military policeman was captured on the company’s CCTV sneaking into the shop and stealing $342 from one of the tills. “He kept checking his surroundings as he inched his way towards the till. He crawled on his belly.

“At some point, he rolled on his back and flipped over to avoid detection as there were still people in the shop,” said Ndlovu. “I’ve all this on our camera footage. He is said to have told his friends that he had lost his bonus. We’re told that he had lost $380”.

Sources said Tamayi was a regular punter at the shop. Ndlovu said he took advantage of an open door as their employees were cleaning before closing for the day. “One of our girls was cleaning. Instead of locking the security door that stops customers from entering the area where staff members will be, she placed a bucket to keep the door open.

“So he took advantage of that to ghost in and crawl towards the till,” she said. Ndlovu said a teller manning the till that Tamayi stole from spotted him as he tried to sneak out. “The teller asked him what he was doing in a restricted area and he ordered her to shut up before running out.

“He dropped his wallet which had all his identification particulars. “That’s how we learnt that he was a soldier,” she said. Ndlovu decried the slow response by the police saying they have not visited the scene even after the case was reported.

“They haven’t even come to see our footage. Right now we’re told that he has been spotted at several drinking spots but nothing is being done. “We’re disappointed with the way police are handling the matter,” she said. The Chronicle