Chronicle Editor
The EcoBank Bulawayo branch’s US$4 million robbery, arguably Zimbabwe’s biggest robbery, occurred two days after Police in Bulawayo launched closed-circuit television (CCTV) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems to enhance their policing activities.
The system, which was launched on October 1, 2024, leverages artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies to reduce reliance on physical police presence. Under the new system, strategically positioned cameras in the central business district (CBD) have sophisticated features such as facial recognition, night vision and vehicle plate recording devices. This is in line with modern policing that provides real-time monitoring and analysis of activities in a given area.
In a shocking daylight robbery, two days after the launch of the CCTV, six armed men raided a cash-in-transit vehicle as security guards loaded cash boxes and got away with about US$4 million at about 3 pm on October 3, 2024.
The bank is three streets away from Bulawayo Central Police Station. There were two Safeguard vehicles that were parked outside the EcoBank branch and security guards were loading cash boxes into one of the vehicles when the robbers pounced. This is probably the country’s biggest robbery and police are yet to make arrests.
The country has this year witnessed a surge in armed robberies and this has raised security concerns.
According to Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe, the country recorded an eleven percent increase in armed robberies between January and August this year compared to the same period last year.
Addressing officers attending this year’s ZRP Senior Officers’ Conference in Harare on Wednesday, Minister Kazembe said it was disheartening to note that the conference had come at a time when the police had not been successful in meeting some of the set targets. He said his ministry is receiving numerous calls from individuals raising concerns regarding the state of policing in the country.
“The rise in general crime and particularly the fear of crime in different parts of the country keeps citizens apprehensive,” said Minister Kazembe.
He said the ZRP performance indicators on the Whole of Government performance management system show that some areas need attention. Minister Kazembe said between January and August this year, road traffic accidents increased by six percent compared to the same period last year. He said during the period, 1 352 people were killed in road traffic accidents.
“These statistics offer a very strong argument for robust traffic management system to help in the policing of the traffic jungle and account for these callous offenders”, said Minister Kazembe.
He said police should therefore take advantage of platforms such as their annual conference to formulate concrete policing interventions.
We welcome the initiatives by the ZRP to adopt modern policing methods such as the use of CCTV and AI but what is of concern to citizens is that cases of robbers targeting banks and cash-in- transit vehicles are on the increase.
Online Reporter