Crime Reporter
POLICE in Beitbridge are appealing for information that will help them account for a number of criminals rocking Beitbridge with serious to petty crime.
Responding to an inquiry about robbery at a bar near the Dulivhadzimu Bus Terminus, the deputy commander of Beitbridge Police District Superintendent Ndebele appealed to residents to pass any information that could assist police.
“Police work with the people and without that help from the community we will not be able to eradicate crime. People should come forward with information whether directly or otherwise, it helps. We can only be able to fight this crime if people share information with police,” said Ndebele.
“If people do not want to do this openly they can drop anonymous tips into our suggestion boxes or write anonymous messages to rhe police so we are able to investigate and be on top of the crime,” said Ndebele.
He also warned residents against keeping large sums of money at home saying this attracted problems and criminals.
If criminals see huge sums of money exchanging hands, they are encouraged to continue with their activities and robberies, said Ndebele.
“We discourage people from keeping large amounts of money at home. This attracts criminals. We have different traders in the habit of keeping large amounts of money for their different businesses and these unknowingly become attraction and targets of thieves and robbers,” he said.
Ndebele asked people to be discreet and very private in their cash transactions and not expose themselves.
As in the case of crime in Beitbride he asked journalists not to be alarmist but selective in the dissemination of news on crime.
“ournalists should also play their role in assisting arrest crime because they have a wide audience and they should not be alarmist in their reporting,” he said.
On Sunday four suspected armed robbers wielding knives raided a bottle store near the Dulivhadzimu Bus Terminus area close to informal industries ordinarily called Siya So.
Ndebele said police got the report of the four who may have not been carrying firearms but had knives when they attacked a lady cashier and another lone customer.
Information received by Ziyah News Network said the robbers may have forcibly taken R3 000 before walking away into the night around 10pm when the bartender was winding business for the day.
Ndebele also said no leads had been found as yet in connection with the robbery and shooting of Sebastian Mhondiwa well known in soccer circles as Apostle Seba.
Information says Mhondiwa ad earkier been seen collecting large amounts of cash from a money changer the night he was attacked at his home.
Beitbridge is home to shipping agents and auto clearing clerks due to its proximity with the border and most of this handle large amounts of cash for their duty and related payments.
A relaxed and childish handling of cash has also exposed several people to robberies some committed in broad daylight while hard-core criminal raid airtime-cum money changers, shipping agents and other well to do residents in violent robberies.
Talk has always been there are people whose livelihoods are earned from tipping robbersbut to date its only suspicions yet to be proven with tangiable evidence.
Meanwhile residents of Ward Two are worried about a group of oeople that have set up shacks in an area behind tge Zesa Pension Fund Complex behind the provincial magistrate’courts and the dysfunctional Rainbow Hotel.
According to a discussion on the Ward Two Whatsapp Platform the area had become a no-go zone for mostly women who are either exposed to naked men or risk having their items snatched.
“They have set up plastic shacks and bath in the open. They have been increasing in numbers and they appear to have set up permanent shelters. It has become a no-go area and we appeal to aythorities to drive them from this area,” a resident said.
Another resident suggested the men numbering up to six or seven should have their origins investigated and be moved from their current place.
Town clerk Loud Ramakgapola said he would ask Municipal Police to investigate.
“We will investigate. We will deploy our police to look at the area and recommsnd a xoluyion but we are going to move them from there,” he said.