Chronicle Editor
Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Correspondent
POLICE have welcomed the newly gazetted law that criminalises cash vending saying deterrent sentences could eradicate the illegal money changing crime.
The Government on Thursday gazetted the anti-cash vending law to deal with people that sell and buy cash on the streets.
In an interview yesterday, national police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said the law will make police efforts more visible unlike in the past when they would arrest offenders who would just pay a fine and continue with their illegal business.
She said deterrent sentences will discourage cash vending.
“We welcome the law because it assists the police, it’s also deterrent because if someone is involved in a particular offence and they are taken to prison, they will not engage in the same crime,” said Snr Asst Comm Charamba.
She said cash vendors just like touts were difficult to remove from the streets due to the little fines that they were made to pay.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba said touts in some cases end up committing serious crimes such as murder as they always pay fines and return to the streets.
“Recently an elderly man was killed by these touts and a pregnant woman was killed last year. What the police have been doing is that they have been arresting these touts and they pay a fine of $20 and return to the streets,” said Snr Asst Comm Charamba.
She said police will conduct countrywide raids on illegal money changers popularly known as osiphatheleni.
“In Bulawayo the raids have already started and these will spread to other areas soon,” said Snr Asst Comm Charamba.
The new law empowers police to arrest suspected dealers and confiscate money and even freeze bank accounts for people suspected to be vending in cash.
The police can present the money as an exhibit in court. — @nqotshili
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