Online Reporter
Sikhumbuzo Moyo
POLICE in Bulawayo have bemoaned an increase in the number of false, alarmist and yet criminal social media posts on the presence of alleged machete gangs terrorising residents in various suburbs in the city.
While acknowledging that the city had recently faced the machete gang menace, provincial spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said police details have cleaned the city, having arrested three gangs whose arrest accounted for more than 20 criminal cases.
“As police, we are really concerned about these alarmist social media messages that have caused fear and anxiety among residents. We have a case in Cowdray Park where an unidentified female is heard claiming that a gang of machete-wielding individuals were involved in running battles with armed police officers yet the matter was just a domestic violence issue, not machete gangs as was being alleged,” said Inspector Msebele, during a media briefing at Luveve Police Station.
Insp Msebele also cited three more audios that went viral on social media, claiming the machete gang was spotted near Basic Supermarket in Lobengula, another where the source was saying the gang had just been sighted at the Parklands pits while the third one was sent by a lady who claimed her sister’s son, a student at the National University of Science and Technology (Nust) had just been attacked while on her way to the lectures.
“The Lobengula message was sent by one Banda after seeing a group of people crossing a road and claiming they were another machete gang. That message caused another fear and panic among residents, yet those people were just coming from work. Investigations were done to verify the Parklands and Nust claims and both cases have proven to be untrue,” said Insp Msebele.
She called upon members of the community to desist from such practice and whenever they see suspicious characters within their communities, they should engage the police as soon as possible, before posting on social media, which can alert the suspects.
