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Dr Masimba Mavaza
From the first day of his election to the Parliament of Zimbabwe, Shurugwi North legislator Cde Ronald Robson Nyathi has sounded the alarm against crime in the Shurugwi and Midlands province as a whole.
Cde Nyathi vowed to end the machete mines wars in Shurugwi and to remove the tag which was assigned to Shurugwi because of the machete violence.
Having been a victim of machete-wielding thugs in Kwekwe, Cde Nyathi understands the pain it courses to the victims.
“One of the things that brought me into politics is a belief in the importance of law and order,” he said. “I have had meetings with all stakeholders in Shurugwi, making the case for longer prison sentences and no mercy for machete-wielding thugs.
“The President, His Excellency ED Mnangagwa gave me more focus on fighting crime in my constituency when he told the police to deal with machete criminals. He urged the police to eradicate such criminals.
“I’m pleased that the Government is now recruiting more police officers. It is good that crime is getting down overally since 2019, but it is still there and we must stop violent crime from rising.
“I have huge admiration for our police and prison officers and am making the case to make sure they have the resources they need to do their job. I’m also encouraging people to take steps to deter criminals, and encouraging local companies to invest in our law and order.
“As an MP, I want to make sure the law keeps up, so we can crack down on new technologies and methods used by criminals.”
Cde Nyathi recalled when he called on stakeholders to deal with crime in Shurugwi.
“I called a meeting with all stakeholders in Shurugwi,” he said. “Those who attended this meeting were the DA Mupeta, Assistant DA Gumbochuma, Officer-in-Charge Inspector Muzunze, and all JOC members.
“The results were very positive in that figures of those machete crimes dropped in the following months to zero. This created a positive environment for people to come and invest in Shurugwi. As we speak, Shurugwi is a peaceful town.
“There is always a storm before calmness. In September 2017, there were 244 machete related crimes, October saw another 224 violent cases. It then only dropped to 220 in November 2017.”
The alarming crime rate in Shurugwi motivated Cde Nyathi to call for a meeting that was convened in the DA’s board room.
This was attended by the DA, JOC members, the Resident magistrate Mr Sangsyer, the District Medical Doctor Nyachowe, the District Police Officer, Mubaiwa, the regional magistrate, public prosecutors and provincial officers and interested parties.
Cde Nyathi initiated anti-violence campaigns in mining areas and in all party districts and the crime figures dropped to zero and Shurugwi became a peaceful town.
In fighting machete crimes, Cde Nyathi acknowledged the assistance rendered by the Dispol, Makusha, further assistance came from the department of EMA, DMD, and many other stakeholders.
The efforts by Cde Nyathi saw many former machete gangs getting organised and employed in artisanal mining jobs.
He held seminars which helped a lot more youths to come and join organised groups and engage in proper mining and being able to get some monies and feeding their families.
In some cases, some police officers were causing confusion and getting paid to arrest the youth so that there would be confusion at the mining sites.
This was done so that in the confusion, the officers would confiscate the gold and give it to the mine barons who had strong connections with senior police officers.
This corruption has been reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and maybe sooner they will come and call the local senior officers to order.
Cde Nyathi, despite the interference of some corrupt miners, held seminars entitled “VIOLENCE NEVER PAYs”, which became a heat with many youth who joined mining for a living.
There was an agreement in Shurugwi that anyone who was found with a machete would be arrested.
In order to cab the violence, the prosecutors were urged to oppose bail for machete criminals.
This initiative drove the message home and the crime rate in Shurugwi fell.
“We ask a lot from our police officers and I couldn’t be prouder of the brave men and women who regularly put themselves in very difficult circumstances to keep us safe,” said Cde Nyathi.
“It is only a few bad apples who are tarnishing the image of our police and those who are used by political opponents to derail progress so that the MP will be blamed.
“We need to ensure the police have the numbers, the equipment and the training they need, so they can continue to arrest criminals and keep them off our streets. The people of my constituency, Shurugwi North, want to see more police officers on the streets.”
Cde Nyathi went on to say: “A key commitment I made at the last general election was to hold local authorities to account and Shurugwi has the majority from Zanu PF.”
He appealed to the police headquarters to provide reliable cars to Shurugwi.
“However, we must ensure that an increase in police visibility comes quickly in order to catch criminals and deter anti-social behaviour cases in particular,” said Cde Nyathi.
“More must be done to tackle violent crime. I have arranged another meeting with the stakeholders to review the situation on the ground now. I will sponsor a motion in Parliament for stiffer sentences for violent crimes.
“Through stricter sentences, we will be able to better dissuade criminals before they commit crimes, which will both keep our area safe and also cut costs to fighting crime.
“I am proposing a motion in the House of Assembly on this subject, pushing for longer sentences and more custodial sentences to be handed down to those found guilty of committing violent crime in order to keep the public safe and to deter further violent offences, and to revive trust in our legal justice system.
“I would urge my fellow politicians to stop abusing the police. They must remember that the public expects the police to be responding to emergencies, investigating and solving crime and neighbourhood policing.
“I would not wish to see the police distracted from their core duties by some corrupt politicians who want to order the police around. Crime is something that cannot be tolerated and I am working with our local authorities, the police and businesses, and community groups to ensure this important issue is at the top of the national agenda.”
Online Reporter