The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
MATABELELAND South Province crime rate is on the rise as the province recorded a 15 percent increase in the first quarter compared to the same period last year with Gwanda province accounting for most cases.Speaking during a Matabeleland South crime consultative committee meeting in Plumtree, the acting provincial police commanding officer Assistant Commissioner Happymore Sigauke said 2 715 cases had been recorded from January to March compared to 2 353 last year.
Asst Comm Sigauke said 1 033 cases were recorded in Gwanda last year while 1 291 were recorded this year. In Beitbridge 708 cases were recorded last year compared to 658 this year.
Cases in Bulilima-Mangwe increased from 622 to 766 this year.
This sharp increase has been recorded while the police force is experiencing resource constraints which are hindering reaction to crime.
Asst Comm Sigauke said a number of police stations did not have vehicles.
The Officer commanding Bulilima-Mangwe District, Chief Superintendent Macdonald Samuriwo said his policing area which had seven stations covering Plumtree, Bulilima and Mangwe areas was relying on one vehicle.
“The entire province has a challenge of vehicles. We recently received a new fleet of defenders but the majority of the cars have broken down and they need servicing. A single vehicle requires about $300 to $500 and we do not have that kind of money.
“Despite these challenges we have to manage crime and officers especially those in rural communities will have to improvise and cycle to crime scenes,” he said.
He said stations were experiencing accommodation challenges for officers and urged stations to improvise.
He raised a concern over the increase of rape cases against juveniles in the province.
“It is unfortunate that when juveniles are raped some parents opt to receive goats as payment and then they conceal the offence. The truth is that a goat cannot undo the damage caused on the victim,” said Asst Comm Sigauke.
He said villagers had to avoid making out of court settlements. He said crimes of concern had shot up from 1 497 to 1 614.
He said rape cases had increased from 89 to 121 while assault cases had increased from 356 to 484 whereas murder cases had remained constant with 11 being recorded this year.
Stock theft cases also increased from 202 to 256.
The Matabeleland South provincial crime consultative committee chairperson Mr Obert Sibanda urged villagers to form child protection committees that could escort pupils to their schools in order to avoid rape incidents.
Also speaking at the meeting the National Traffic officer in charge of Plumtree, Inspector Takaidza Julius said a number of accidents were being recorded in the province as a result of speeding by public service vehicles.
He said although there was a reduction in accidents recorded this year compared to 2014 the number of fatalities remained high.
Insp Julius said the entire province had one speed trap machine.
“As a province we only have one speed trap which is in Shangani. The other machines have broken down and we are still lobbying to have them replaced. We also do not have breath analysis machines making it almost impossible to fully implement road regulations,” he said.
Insp Julius said the traffic officers were now relying on the public to ferry dead bodies and injured people from accident scenes.
He said 381 accidents had been recorded this year compared to 449 last year.
The meeting was attended by police officers, traditional leaders, representatives from various government departments and members of the business community.
