The Sunday News
Police sometimes fall short of public expectations in their conduct in public service and personal life. There have been a number of stories in the media, and some told in the streets full of misadventures of police officers on and off duty. Strangely, their good work is seldom celebrated. When they do well, people often ignore their milestones and move on with their lives, arguing “its their job anyway”.
We note that the public is quick to criticise, sometimes without the context to the whole circumstance and the danger in that is that the whole police force is painted with the same brush, although like in any organisation, there are bad apples that deserve to be crucified.
Nonetheless, we note that the people of Bulawayo and surrounding areas have spoken with one voice this time around, praising the police for a job well done when they moved swiftly to arrest thugs who were stealing and raping people in Bulawayo’s Luveve and Cowdray Park suburbs, among other areas.
Recently, three women were raped when the thugs descended on Luveve High School, where they robbed two lovers of their belongings before getting into the school which has a boarding facility to do further damage. Police reacted swiftly and arrested nine men, aged between 21 and 36 years in and around Bulawayo, and the courts also responded promptly and put the men on their defence, and dutifully sent them to prison for a combined 629 years. Eight of the thugs have already started their long journey behind bars, while the ninth member of the gang is recovering in hospital under police guard after being shot while trying to evade arrest.
Those already serving time in prison pleaded guilty to multiple charges, ranging from multiple counts of rape, robbery, unlawful entry and theft, as well as carjacking. Three regional magistrates at Tredgold magistrates courts Mrs Sibongile Msipa Marondedze, Mr Mark Dzira and Mr Chrispen Mberewere took turns to preside over the cases divided into ten records. Mr Mberewere declared that for once, residents of Luveve, Cowdray Park and surrounding areas would have a peaceful night knowing that justice has taken its course.
The mastermind of the gang, 36-year-old Nqobizitha Ncube of Old Pumula, who took part in almost all the crimes was jailed for 166 years with the youngest, Lewis Ndlovu (21) getting 34 years, the same as Milton Ndlovu (23). Three Dlamini brothers, Gift (32), Buyani (25) and Stanford (22) were sentenced to 85 years, Buyani 122 years and Stanford 18 years respectively. Another gang member, Mlungisi Maphosa (24) was sentenced to 58 years.
We agree with magistrate Mrs Msipa Marondedze who told the court that the culprits were a serious danger to society and had to be sent to prison for a long time to send a clear message to would-be criminals that crime does not pay, and above all, that we have competent police and courts to deal effectively with such people.
“After considering the aggravatory circumstances surrounding these crimes, it’s clear that the accused persons are not only a danger to the community but have become a danger to themselves. We need to send them away for a very long time so that we send a message to like-minded would be criminals.”
When everything has been said and done, we have to give Bulawayo police commander Senior Assistant Commissioner Steven Mutamba and his team a pat on the back for a job well done. We know that there are still many people out there who are into crime, and the job of the police and court officials never ends, but they truly deserve praise and thanks for carrying out their work with distinction in arresting and getting these named criminals, who were such a dangerous gang to society, behind bars.
