The ManicaPost
In our last week’s edition, we carried a very disturbing and frightening story of cunning armed robbers who pounced on a bus company in Mutare and got away with $30 000.
The robbers used dynamite to blow up a safe at the company’s depot in the Nyakamete Industrial Area. Police are yet to account for the criminals.
Elsewhere in this issue we carry another worrying article in which the same criminals are believed to have ganged up once more and hit a supermarket at Odzi Business Centre. The crime was perpetrated in almost similar fashion with the first one.
In the two cases, the robbers used detonators to blow up the safes. The rate at which these crimes are being perpetrated is a cause for concern and we urge the police to beef up their teams and bring the criminals to book.
Besides these two cases, families in Mutare’s affluent suburbs are living in constant fear of such sporadic attacks, some of which have resulted in deaths.
Now that the police have decongested the highways – leaving traffic business to traffic stations – we expect to see more midnight patrols in locations and the central business district, where robberies are being committed.
The imminent threat to lives and safety of innocent civilians need not to be overemphasised. Some years back, communities used to have vibrant neighbourhood watch committees that worked hand-in-glove with the police to flush out criminals but only a few are surviving.
Societies were no longer trusting cops because of the crude corrupt behaviour had affected the rank and file of the force.
We believe that the ushering in of the new political dispensation that has resulted in sweeping positive changes in the police force, the fish-and-water relationship that should be there between the police and the people will be forged afresh.
When that happens, a litany of committees targeted at fighting crimes will be formed between the police, civilians and businesses.
Fighting crime is a concerted effort. In light on these midnight robberies that are being targeted at premises where the criminals suspect that there is cash, it is advisable that companies or families bank their money.
With the prevalent cash shortages, most people are keeping cash at home which is risky and dangerous. On Tuesday our sister paper The Herald carried a story in which a Harare couple lost $37 000 to robbers who pounced on them at home.
The Glen Norah C couple was tortured with a hot iron till they disclosed where they were keeping the money in the house. All their savings gone just like that and thank goodness no life was lost.
Yes, cash shortages are haunting but keeping large sums of money does not help either. Criminals will definitely get attracted and pounce on you. Your life is not worth that much. Money should be kept at the banks.
