In a dramatic incident early yesterday, 22-year-old Dingani scaled a 30-meter light tower in Rimuka suburb in an attempt to escape an enraged mob after a failed attempt to steal solar panels.
The suspect was chased by residents near Nherera Bar on Masvaure Street and sought refuge by climbing the towering structure.
As tensions mounted, Dingani, cornered and panicked, threatened to jump, alarming onlookers. The standoff, which began around 4 a.m., lasted nearly three hours as local authorities and residents tried to defuse the situation.
Tafadzwa Maxwell “Agaga” Mwanyisa, a brave local man, acted, disregarding his wife’s pleas and climbing the tower in a daring rescue attempt. “I was determined to save him,” Tafadzwa said. “When I reached him, I offered him money for his favorite drink and persuaded him to drop the knife and electric shocker he was holding. Fortunately, he did.”
Thanks to Tafadzwa’s intervention, Dingani was safely brought down and later taken to Rimuka police station under heavy security.
Shocked residents recalled Dingani’s suspicious behavior the night before the attempted theft.
One local resident, Shylet, expressed concerns for the community’s safety: “He had been loitering around all night. My mother was too scared to leave the house, and it turns out he was planning to steal our neighbor’s solar panels.”
