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.
