Magwegwe Neighbourhood Committee nabs thief

Mashudu Mambo

AN unidentified man from Magwegwe West in Bulawayo was  on Tuesday arrested by Neighbourhood Watch Committee members after they allegedly found him in possession of seven water meters.

Circumstances are that on Tuesday at around 2 am, the neighbourhood watch was conducting regular patrols when they met up with the culprit, who sources said lived in the neighbourhood and is a former police officer.

“They caught him with the water metres. He showed them the different houses where he had stolen the water metres from,” said a source.

The Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) applauded the work done by Neighbourhood Watch Committees in reducing crime in residential areas. In an interview, BPRA Secretary for Administration, Thembelani Dube said the neighbourhood committees were crucial to curb crime.

“As BPRA, we advocate for such structures because these committees address security challenges and gaps as a result of few police bases. I believe that if people who are incorporated into the committees are dedicated and pro-active individuals, the neighbourhood committees are very useful and help to curb or reduce criminal activities in the residential areas,” said Dube.

He urged communities to screen individuals who are in neighbourhood watch committees as some criminals may use it as an opportunity to commit crimes.

“It is important for communities to organise themselves into security clusters that we normally refer to as Neighbourhood Watch Committees, to help strengthen security in their communities. In the process of doing so, they should always make sure individuals incorporated into the committees are screened by the police to avoid criminals constituting those committees,” he said.

Dube warned communities against using neighbourhood committees as a way of siphoning funds from unsuspecting individuals.

 “We also encourage communities against turning these committees into self-serving institutions that end up siphoning funds from communities through exorbitant and illegal monthly subscription fees,” said Dube.