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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands bureau
Police in Gweru have bust a four- member gang from Zhombe that was hunting down villagers’ goats and sheep in the pastures in Lower Gweru, slaughtering them and selling the meat to unsuspecting people.
The four were arrested under the recently introduced police day-patrols, with one of the suspects apprehended while on a routine livestock hunting jaunt.
The four suspects – Samson Mativenga (53) his teenage son, Abel (16), James Siziba (22) and Only Sithole (22) – were by yesterday evening still assisting police with indications.
Some carcasses of slaughtered sheep and goats were also recovered.
The quartet from Chief Samambwa in Zhombe was later detained at Gweru Rural Police Station.
When our news crew visited Gweru Rural Police Station yesterday, the four were being interviewed, with complainants coming in to identify some of their stolen livestock.
The Officer-in-Charge of Gweru Rural Police Station, Chief Inspector Samuel Tadzaushe, confirmed the arrest, but refused to give details referring this reporter to the acting police spokesperson for Midlands Province, Assistant Inspector Ethel Mukwende.
“What are you looking for here; we don’t give comments to the media. Please excuse us and go to our provincial spokesperson’s office. We have sent them a memo with regards to the arrests,” he said.
Asst Insp Mukwende said they were still to get the details of the matter.
Sources said the police at Gweru rural responded to complaints from villagers in the surrounding resettlement areas following a surge in stock theft during the day.
“The police got some tip-offs to the effect that the gang was in the habit of going around in the grazing areas to hunt down livestock before taking their loot for sale to unsuspecting people,” said the source.
The source said that the police, who were patrolling some of the grazing areas, then came across one of the suspects, James Siziba, driving a herd.
“He immediately took to his heels after being stopped, but the police later apprehended him following a long chase,” said the source. “He later helped the police in the arrest of his three accomplices.”
One of the complainants, Mrs Lizzy Makaro, said the gang had built a makeshift structure in the Gwenoro area on the outskirts of Gweru where they have been hiding their loot.
“I recovered carcasses of my goats at the structure after the suspects went there in the company of the police for the purposes of indications,” she said.
Online Reporter