Own Correspondent|Members of the Zimbabwe Assemblies of God Africa (ZAOGA) in Gweru were in the early hours of New Year’s Day left stunned after a gang of five machete-wielding thugs wearing masks raided them during an all night prayer session.

Mrs Nyarai Gozho who is a caretaker at the church, said five masked machete-wielding men, ambushed worshippers who were having a prayer session at around 1am and ordered everyone to lie on the floor with one of the team manning the door of the church.

The gang is said to have moved around searching valuables from the church members as they lay on the ground, stealing three cell phones and cash amounting to one thousand five hundred Zimbabwean dollars.

She said the machete gang then force-marched her to the church house where they stole 20 United States dollars.

Zimbabwe Republic Police Midlands’ Provincial Spokesperson, Inspector Joel Goko confirmed the incident and said that police have since launched a manhunt for the thugs.