adminPolice and residents have attributed the latest development to the resumption of deportation of Zimbabweans from South Africa.
The exercise has also seen an increase in the number of ex-convicts being brought home through Beitbridge Border Post.
In separate interviews on Monday, residents said stranded deportees were fuelling crime in the border town.
They called on the police to intensify night patrols at hot criminal spots such as Dulibadzimu Bus Terminus, Hlalani Kuhle houses and Mfelandawonye.
“Since the resumption of deportations there has been an increase in the spate of robberies in Beitbridge.
“Of late we have witnessed a sharp increase in robberies occurring in Dulibadzimu especially at night.
“Nowadays a week hardly passes by without any incident involving robbery.
“We urge police to intensify their patrols as we now endure sleepless nights for fear of being attacked by robbers,” said Ms Noma Mlambo of Dulibadzimu.
Another resident, Mr Tapson Ndou said his neighbour was last week robbed of household property by a group of four men who descended on his home in the middle of the night.
“A group of six men who were armed with knives and iron bars broke into my neighbour’s house and they stole a television set and a DVD player,” he said.
Ms Thabang Tlou of Dulibadzimu said: “I woke up this morning (yesterday) and found the door of my bedroom wide open and my handbag gone.
“In fact, it looks like the suspect first peeped through the window before proceeding to the door where he destroyed the lock to gain entry and stole my handbag while I was fast asleep,” she said.
The thieves, however, later dumped the handbag in the yard after they failed to find money and other valuables.
The bag only contained a Bible and toiletries.
The robbers and thieves also targeted illegal foreign currency dealers and shops.
Last week three men stormed Tropical Bar in Dulibadzimu suburb and ordered the patrons to lie down at gunpoint before they went away with a cashbox containing R6 000.
The officer commanding police in Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Lawrence Chinhengo, also expressed concern over a rise in armed robberies in the border town.
He attributed the surge to an increase in the number of deportation of ex-convicts from South Africa.
“We continue to record a sharp increase in the number of robberies and unlawful entry cases in Beitbridge.
“Some of the people deported from South Africa through Beitbridge Border Post are ex-convicts and we would like to believe that some of them resort to crime,” he said.
Chief Supt Chinhengo said last week they received 20 ex-convicts who were deported from South Africa.
On being deported from South Africa, returnees are taken to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reception and support centre where they are offered overnight accommodation, medication, food and transport to proceed to their respective homes.
However, a majority of the deportees turn down any form of assistance from IOM and those who opt to go home using their own means are released and most of them resort to crossing back to South Africa illegally through undesignated entry points along the crocodile infested Limpopo River.
It is believed that others resort to crime.
Online Reporter