Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
POLICE in Victoria Falls have issued a prohibition order banning the carrying of dangerous weapons in public spaces, a response to a surge in violent crimes.
Officer Commanding Victoria Falls District, Chief Superintendent Sibulisiwe Sithole, notified of the ban under the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (MOPA), warning that offenders face arrest and prosecution.
“The unanticipated acts of violence forced this office to invoke the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act, which allows us to prohibit the carrying of dangerous weapons causing such acts involving the element of violence such as murder, assaults, and malicious damage to property,” said Chief Supt Sithole.
“In terms of section 4 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Chapter 11:23, any person failing to comply with such a prohibition order shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level five or imprisonment for six months or both,” she said.
The prohibition order, effective from 30 July to 31 October 2025, covers Victoria Falls, Jambezi, and Kazungula.
Banned items include catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, daggers, and any traditional weapons deemed a public threat.
Police urge residents to comply, emphasising that the measure aims to curb violence and restore safety.
Increased patrols and searches will be conducted to enforce the order.
