Seven women were kidnapped, robbed and raped in separate incidents by suspected armed robbers, police have confirmed.

One of the incidents occurred along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road on Monday, while the other one took place in Mwenezi.

Sources close to the investigations said four women were stranded along the Bulawayo-Beitbridge Road after their vehicle developed a mechanical fault.

They were then approached by two armed robbers who pretended to be Good Samaritans. One of the robbers produced a gun and ordered the women to comply with their orders.

They took turns to rape the women before robbing them of their valuables and cash. In the other incident, three women who were on their way to the city from Mbare, were kidnapped, raped and robbed by armed robbers who had offered them a lift.

It is alleged that the women were later dumped in Mwenezi.

Police are still investigating these two cases and no arrests have been made.

Last week, a 52-year-old Harare businessman was fatally shot in cold blood after he was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash by suspected armed robbers who, trailed him from his business premises in Budiriro.

Lameck Murimi was shot several times and is believed to have been carrying a bag of cash he had collected from his businesses.

A neighbour who tried to assist him after hearing gunshots was also shot and seriously injured by the armed robbers.

Investigations carried out so far indicated the businessman could have been trailed by the robbers who were driving in their getaway car.

They ambushed him near a gate to his house in Budiriro.

The latest incident came as police urged members of the public not to keep or move around with large sums of money.