adminH-Metro Reporter
KWEKWE City Council, in conjunction with the police and the social welfare department, yesterday launched a blitz to round up mentally-challenged people in the Central Business District.
The decision comes in the wake of a distressing incident last week in which a 23-year-old man died after being struck on the head by a mentally ill person.
There has been an increase in incidents of residents being terrorised by mentally ill patients and street kids in the city.
Council’s director of housing and health services, Edson Chiyangwa, said they had so far rounded up 15 mentally ill individuals from the CBD.
“We have removed them and taken them to Kwekwe General Hospital where they will be stabilised,” said Chiyangwa.
He said they would then be taken to Gweru where they will be placed in a mental home.
Chiyangwa said they had recently conducted a similar blitz to rid the CBD of street kids.
“We also have a challenge of street kids, but conducted an operation two weeks ago and placed some of them to children’s homes, while others were reunited with their families.
“The streets were quiet for about a week and they returned after running away from the children’s home in Gweru where we had taken them to,” said Chiyangwa.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter