Source: The Herald – Breaking news.
Bulawayo Bureau
Residents were constantly terrorised by gangs of three or four marauders, lurking on the tree’s branches and attacking unsuspecting passers-by.
The situation escalated to a point where residents demanded that the Bulawayo City Council cut down the tree, which was ultimately successful, and the area is now free of this criminal hotspot.
However, crime rates in other parts of Mpopoma remain high, even with the efforts of neighbourhood watch committees.
The main issue is the lack of street or tower lights in dark areas, where criminals tend to operate. Local Councillor, Donaldson Mabuto, called on the local authority to install solar-powered lights to deter criminals from targeting residents.
“When I assumed the councillor position for Ward 9, the crime rate in Mpopoma was one of the highest in the city. We met all the 15 sectional heads in the suburb and revived all the neighbourhood watch committees. Of the 15 neighbourhood watch committees, only eight are functional today, but their presence has greatly reduced crime in Mpopoma.
“The biggest problem in the fight against crime is that some parts of the suburb don’t have street lights or tower lights, and those are the areas where the criminals operate from,” said Clr Mabuto.
Other areas in Bulawayo, such as Khumalo Flats housing complex, have also become hotspots for muggings, particularly on the dusty trail that separates Bulawayo-Harare Road from the complex.
Residents who do not drive, board kombis that ply the City-Mahatshula route and drop off at a bus stop along Bulawayo-Harare Road close to the housing complex. A bushy area separates the bus stop and Khumalo Flats, and that’s where the criminals pounce.
“Numerous people have been mugged this year alone in that bushy area that separates our housing complex and the Bulawayo-Harare Road, and all the victims stay here.
“The thugs always attack after dark and simply disappear into the night after snatching handbags, cellphones, or other valuables. Walking from the main road to the housing complex is an invitation to be mugged, and we are scared that one day the attacks might be fatal, especially if the victim is a man who tries to resist and fights back,” said Ms Letina Sibanda, a resident at Khumalo Flats.
Other suburbs, like Magwegwe and Pumula East, have similar problems, including a violent nightclub and frequent muggings at bus stops, according to a resident, Mr Ndodana Mlambo.
“Not a single weekend passes without incidents of youths fighting at Marisha nightclub, and we are tired of the violence. The residents have complained over and over again that we don’t want the nightclub in our suburb, but the authorities are not listening to us,” said Mr Mlambo.
In the city centre, damaged street lights have been flagged as the reason some sections of the Bulawayo central business district have been turned into no-go areas by criminals.
“Areas frequented by commercial sex workers are the most dangerous to walk past in the city centre. The street lights are damaged on purpose so that the women can work in the dark, but those areas have also become serious crime hotspots,” said a security guard, Mr Enoch Munashe.
In Pumula East, the popular Ntemba bus stop area is risky in the early mornings and at night, as numerous muggings have been recorded this year, although some arrests have been made.
“We appeal to residents to work hand in hand with the police because these criminals are usually known and live among us. The issue of muggings and robberies is serious and needs all hands on deck from the community to law enforcement authorities,” said Ward 19 Councillor, Lazarus Mphadwe.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesman, Inspector Abednico Ncube urged residents to avoid crime hotspots, especially at night, as these places are notorious for attracting thugs who use shortcuts such as dusty trails and bushy areas.
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