Rita Odafe
A 22-year-old man named Dingani, suspected of stealing, ended up climbing a 30-meter tall light tower in the Rimuka suburb of Zimbabwe after a botched theft of solar panels.
Following an angry mob near Nherera Bar on Masvaure Street, Dingani fled to the top of the structure to escape.
As the situation intensified, he threatened to jump, causing panic among onlookers. The dramatic standoff occurred early in the morning, lasting around three hours as both residents and authorities endeavored to talk him down.
Tafadzwa Maxwell “Agaga” Mwanyisa, a determined local man, took it upon himself to intervene. Ignoring his wife’s warnings, he climbed the tower to help Dingani.
“I committed to saving this person,” Tafadzwa recounted. “When I reached him, I offered him money for his favorite drink, successfully persuading him to relinquish the knife and electric shocker he had. Fortunately, he complied.”
Thanks to Tafadzwa’s bravery, Dingani was safely brought down from the tower and was subsequently taken to the Rimuka police station under tight security.
Local residents expressed their unease regarding Dingani’s actions prior to the attempted theft. One woman, Shylet, voiced her fears about community safety: “He had been hanging around all night, making my mother afraid to step outside. It turns out he was plotting to steal the solar panels from our neighbor,” she explained.
