Vusumuzi Dube
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
BULAWAYO metropolitan province has reported an eight percent decrease in crime over the past three quarters of the year, according to police officials.
This decline marks a significant improvement in public safety for the region, as authorities continue to implement measures aimed at reducing criminal activity and enhancing community security.
However, crimes of concern which include murder, unlawful entry in aggravated circumstances (formerly housebreaking), stock theft, assault and theft of copper cables still haunt the province with various increases compared to last year’s records.
Speaking in a media engagement on Wednesday at the Bulawayo Police Provincial Headquarters, Officer commanding Commissioner Wiklef Makamache revealed the statistics and encouraged the province to ensure it works as a unit with the police to curb crime.
“I joined the province in June 2023 before the harmonised elections in which together as a province we did well by not recording a notable incident. Going forward, our objective was to reduce crime and from June to December last year we managed to score a 3 percent decrease. Our fight is always to fight below the set standard growth of 7 percent but instead we went way below that
“From January to September this year we have managed to reduce crime by 8 percent. However, we have what we call crimes of concern in which we continue to record either increases or a decrease,” said Comm Makamache.
He said the province witnessed an increase in murder cases from January to September recording 51 cases compared to 41 cases during the same period last year.
“The was a significant reduction in armed robbery where we recorded 22 cases in the first nine months compared to 44 during the same period last year. Rape has been on a decrease with 103 cases having been recorded in the first nine months compared to 154 last year,” said Comm Makamache.
Unlawful entry with aggravated circumstances recorded a decrease with 2677 cases being recorded in the first nine months compared to 2928 cases recorded last year. Stock theft has also recorded an increase of 210 cases so far this year compared to 176 last year.
Commissioner Makamache said that assault which is usually influenced by alcohol consumption by its perpetrators is also on the increase with 2205 cases recorded so far compared to 2124 cases during the same period last year.
“Theft of motor vehicles reduced from 59 cases last year to 51 this year and what we have observed is that the Honda fit is on demand. As a province we further recorded a decrease in Fraud cases with 620 cases being recorded in the first nine months compared to the 788 recorded during the same period last year,” said Comm Makamache.
Comm Makamache said while they have intensified awareness on theft of copper cables in conjunction with ZESA, Telone and NRZ, the province recorded has so far recorded 211 cases, an increase from last year’s 174.
He said traffic offences recorded a decline with 3511 cases having recorded so far compared to 3709 last year. Comm Makamache said most of the traffic cases range between driving without due care, negligent driving and culpable homicide.
Meanwhile, Comm Makamache has reiterated that all hands are on deck on the US$4 million Ecobank armed robbery case. He said the police have teams on the ground and once investigations are conducted, the police will inform the public.
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