High crime rate riles MP

GWERU – Vungu legislator Omega Sibanda is not happy with the high crime rate in his constituency
especially the rampant stockthefts and machete wielding gangs which are causing untold suffering to
the community.
Speaking to The Times, Sibanda said Vungu is one the worst affected areas in terms of crime.
“We have serious challenges. Just yesterday I was talking to the officer commanding police Midlands
Province who has pledged to assist us.
“He promised to come to Vungu with his team so that we have a meeting with village heads and
chiefs so that we address the challenges we are facing. He promised that he is going to do something
about these crimes,” he said.
“People are stealing cattle, they slaughter the beast and steal steak to supply butchers.
“We are investigating, and I think the police is going to make a lot of arrests,” he said.
There was outrage throughout the country when cattle rustlers last week butchered six cattle in
Sonmabhula and took steak leaving bones.
He said machete wielding youths were killing each other daily.
“Just yesterday they killed a boy at Lower Gweru Mission for no reason at all. The other week they
killed another boy at Mangunzani.
“They are murdering each other and where I take note of is the late closing of these bottle stores
and some are illegal. We have tuckshops, Illegal shebeens, people at old farming houses selling beer,
mbanje and other drugs.”
Sibanda said there was need for control measures as drugs like Njengu, mutoriro and imbanje are
now out of control.
The legislator urged people in his constituency to go to court to give evidence against criminals that
would have been arrested in the community.
“Our people do not go to court as witnesses when someone is arrested and the criminals are
released. People end up complaining that prosecutors and other court officials would have been
bribed but that is not the case,” he said.
To date eight people have been arrested in the past week for cattle rustling in Gweru District.
Sibanda however said he was working with Empower Bank so that youths get loans.
“We are trying to sway them away from criminal activities through these loans and a number have
benefitted,” he said.