Bulawayo community needs to work together to combat crime

THE launch of Business against Crime Forum of Zimbabwe (BACFOZ) on the 31st of May 2013 at the School of Hospitality in Bulawayo was highly received by the Bulawayo community as the forum aims to reduce crime within the local business community. BACFOZ is a community policing initiative designed by the Commissioner General of Police whose mandate is to foster awareness, understanding and appreciation of crime prevention strategies in the country.

In his opening remarks, BACFOZ chairman Mr Elifasi Mashaba highlighted the need for the prevention of crime through concerted effort between the business community and the public. In his key note address read on his behalf by the Provincial Administrator for Bulawayo, Khonzani Ncube, the Governor and Resident Minister for Bulawayo Cain Mathema emphasised the need for the people of Bulawayo to work together in order to combat crime.

The magnitude of crime in Zimbabwe is quite alarming not only to the justice system itself but to the common person. Nearly on a day to day basis citizens are robbed of their money and property. In fact research has revealed that theft is the most common and least often solved criminal act and only about 20 percent of these thefts are solved.

It doesn’t matter whether it is in the rural areas or urban areas, theft affects anyone anywhere. In rural areas for example, thieves get away with grain, livestock, tools, machinery and so on. In urban areas thieves get away with electrical gadgets, copper wire, car parts, and bicycles and so on.

Supermarkets and established companies also experience increasing thefts. The thieves at times are professional pickpockets and juveniles who steal for the thrill of it.

A long time ago women were usually the victims of crime but nowadays the women just like men are also the perpetrators. Women are usually interested in stealing clothing, food and toiletries and they can operate as organised groups. This is usually done to maximise efficiency and minimise the danger of apprehension and punishment.

Organised crime can also be in the form of provision of houses or lodges for prostitution purposes, drugs, manufacturing and distribution of pornographic material and making loans available to high-risk borrowers at high interest rates.

At times more attention is focused on the usual unorganised crime yet organised crime can also be quite costly to the nation. Actually unorganised crime preoccupies everyone’s mind because it is highly publicised in the mass media.

It must also be borne in mind that one of the fast-growing kinds of crime is the white collar crime. This includes labour law violations, bribing government officials, illegal contributions to political parties and campaigns, cheating on income taxes, falsifying claims, rigging sporting events and computer crime.

Some of these crimes unfortunately are at times committed by businesspeople, high profile people, public officials and professional people.

Zimbabwean people are also worried about the upsurge in juvenile delinquency. There is a crime problem among the young. According to the book “Face to Face the Individual and Social Problems”, young unmarried males commit the majority of crimes. The proportion of male to female in terms of crime is six to one according to research. It is also purported that some women commit crime in liaison with men, hence just as they used to say that behind every great man stands a great woman so in terms of crime behind every woman criminal there stands a man.

In terms of workplace crime or occupationally related crime, most employees in general are tempted to steal from their employers. One study found that 75 to 92 percent of employees admitted taking items ranging from pencils and paper to expensive tools and machinery.

While the theft of single and small items might be insignificant but the cumulative effect is of great magnitude in business terms.  Theft accounts for at least 42 percent of inventory shrinkage versus 31 percent due to shoplifting, according to some reports.

The reports highlight that for every dollar stolen by shoplifters, employees steal $15.  It is estimated that theft by retail employees alone amounts to billions of dollars and can lead to failure of about a third of small business. It is important therefore for business owners to have measures in place to avoid workplace crimes.

Workplace place is seen by employees as accepted and justified behaviour as they regard it as compensation to the job. It is therefore important for employees treat their employees fairly in terms of salaries and benefits.

Fear of crime affects everyone and the fear is justified.  It is estimated that five out of six people will be victims of an attempted or completed crime during their lives.

The writer is the Bulawayo provincial development officer in the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development.