Saturday, November 8, 2025 - A man in Bulawayo pulled off a bold theft right at the doorstep of law enforcement after he allegedly stole a police officer’s car from the parking area of Bulawayo Central Police Station in Zimbabwe. The incident quickly turned into a fast-moving investigation, an arrest and an unexpected escape from custody.
According to reports, the events began on 31 October 2025
when Constable Mashora parked his Honda Fit in the central parking bay outside
the station, locked it and went on duty. Later that evening, prosecutors said
the suspect approached the vehicle and used an unknown tool to unlock it, start
the engine and drive away. The officer’s belongings, including clothing items
and a satchel, were inside the car.
When Mashora returned after his shift, the vehicle had
vanished. He reported the theft and hired another car the next day to begin
searching for it. Detectives from the Vehicle Theft Squad tracked the case to
27-year-old Talent Mpofu of Entumbane, who was arrested at his home. He later
led officers to a service station near Western Commonage Police Station, where
the Honda Fit had been abandoned.
But the situation escalated when Mpofu was brought back to
Bulawayo Central Police Station. Despite being handcuffed, he allegedly bolted
from the police courtyard and ran home, where his wife and a neighbour helped
remove the cuffs. Detectives later found him hiding under a bed.
Constable Mashora told the court that the recovered vehicle
had different number plates, and that Mpofu was wearing his T-shirt and sandals
at the time of his arrest. Mpofu appeared before a regional magistrate on 7
November 2025 and was remanded in custody. He claimed he acted out of financial
desperation as the case continues.
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