A Zimbabwean police officer at Beit Bridge and another man are battling for their lives at a local hospital, after they were struck with an axe by two unknown men before they were robbed of R900 and a cell phone.

The two men had run out of fuel along the Beit Bridge-Masvingo road when the suspects pounced.

Plice spokesperson C/Supt Lawrence Chinhengo said the incident occurred last Thursday last week at around 05:00, a few kilometres outside Beit Bridge town.

The stranded victims were assisted by a motorist who drove them to the police station, where they reported the matter. Chinhengo said the suspects were still at large, adding that they were now investigating. “We have launched a manhunt for the suspects and we are also appealing to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the two men to contact their nearest police station,” he said.

Of late there has been an increase in the number of robbery cases occurring along the Beit Bridge-Masvingo road. Recently, a South African man lost groceries and an undisclosed amount of cash when four knife-wielding men descended on him after his car had developed a mechanical fault.