A prominent engineer and energy-sector executive lost US$150,000 after cash kept in a locked trunk at her Ruwa home was stolen without any visible signs of forced entry.
Engineer Farai Mavhiya-Bhiza, 55, reportedly discovered the money was missing after returning from a business trip to Chegutu.
Police said the theft occurred while Mavhiya-Bhiza was away over the weekend. Her maid, Josephine Mboneka, 33, remained at the house during her absence.
Mavhiya-Bhiza arrived home at around 8pm on Sunday but only discovered the theft the following day when she opened the trunk where the money had been stored.
According to police, there were no signs of forced entry on either the bedroom door or the trunk. Investigators suspect duplicate keys may have been used.
Harare Provincial Police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza confirmed that detectives were investigating the case.
“Police are investigating an unlawful entry and theft case involving US$150,000 in Ruwa,” Chakanza said.
He said police had found no evidence that the bedroom or trunk had been forced open.
Investigators are now expected to establish who had access to the house, whether duplicate keys were made and who knew that the large amount of cash was being kept at the property.
The maid had reportedly been employed at the house for only three weeks. The garden worker was off duty during the weekend, while one of Mavhiya-Bhiza’s children visited the property while she was away.
Police have warned residents against keeping large amounts of cash at home or at business premises because of the security risks involved.
Mavhiya-Bhiza is a senior figure in Zimbabwe’s engineering and energy sectors. She is the managing director of Chisipo Consultants and has held leadership positions in several professional and public institutions.
She is also president of the Zimbabwe Institution of Engineers and has previously served as chairperson of the Harare Institute of Technology board.
The case remains under investigation, with detectives focusing on access to the property, the possible use of duplicate keys and how the thieves knew where the money was stored.
Police have not publicly named any suspects in connection with the theft.