A 29-year-old South African man from Tshilwavhusiku area suffered a temporary setback when he lost his car, a Toyota Corolla, worth about R15 000, to thieves while attending a church service outside Beitbridge town in Zimbabwe.

The incident occurred on Sunday, 1 July, at around 20:00.

The man, Mr David Rudzani Mudau, said he had visited Zimbabwe for a church conference in Malala area, about 15 km out of Beitbridge town. "I was attending an evening church service at the Malala area and it was after the service that I noticed that my car, a Toyota Corolla, had disappeared from where I had parked it," he said.

However, Mudau, who is a staunch member of the United Apostles Denominational Church, had every reason to smile when he finally found his vehicle abandoned by the suspects at a bushy area near the church site. The car had its fuel drained from the tank.

"We tracked the car with another church colleague, and after driving for about four kilometers, we found it abandoned at a bushy area with no fuel in the tank, but I thank God because nothing else was stolen from the car, save the fuel," he said.

The matter was then reported to the local police, but no arrests were made.

Police spokesman in Matabeleland South province Insp Tafanana Dzirutwe confirmed the incident. He said they had since launched a manhunt for the suspects. "We are urging community members to assist us with information which could lead to the arrest of the suspects and as police, we have also intensified the investigations. We also would like to encourage people to park their cars in safe areas to avoid such incidents," he said.