The eyes that see in the dark…Emganwini residents cry foul over escalating muggings

THE lack of tower lights in some parts of Emganwini suburb in Bulawayo has led to escalating cases of muggings and robberies forcing residents to pull together resources to install the vital lighting infrastructure as a deterrent.

Tower lights, essential for illuminating large areas such as highways, intersections and residential zones, are crucial for ensuring safety, especially during the night.

The absence of these lights has created a fertile ground for criminal elements that target unsuspecting residents in poorly lit areas in Emganwini suburb.

The problem is prevalent in the extreme edges of the suburb where criminals strike and disappear into the darkness and nearby bushy area hence residents are reviving local neighbourhood watch committees to fight crime, Ward 26 Councillor Mpumelelo Moyo, said.

“Emganwini is subdivided into several sections and some areas, for instance, the ones on the edges of the suburb, are more affected by crime compared to others but generally crime is a huge problem in the ward.

“Residents have started reviving neighbourhood watch committees that patrol crime hotspots. The committees are supposed to be paid tokens of appreciation at the end of the month but some residents are not contributing and as such neighbourhood watch committees in some sections of the suburb have disbanded,” said Clr Moyo.

He said residents are free to pool together resources to fund the installation of tower lights to reduce crime.

“The council’s engineering department stands ready to install tower lights on behalf of residents. In the past I have engaged the department to assist residents install the right solar lights in the suburb so council will not stand in the way when residents come up with funds to install tower lights,” said Clr Moyo.

He applauded the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) for working together with residents during night patrols.

Residents association secretary, Mrs Nelia Phiri, said the criminals prowl the edges of the suburb and target areas along Plumtree Road when its dark.

“The criminals target college students who normally carry laptops and cell phones, items which have a ready market,” she said.

“Three residents lost valuables in the last two months and in all the cases, the thugs ran away in the direction of Plumtree Road where it’s dark.

“We are trying to come up with funds to install solar lights on the edges of the suburb where most of the muggings are occurring. We believe the lights will act as a deterrent to the criminals,” said Mrs Phiri.

Already, residents in suburbs such as Mpopoma, Parklands and Khumalo have taken initiatives to light up their streets by installing solar lights mounted on existing Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) infrastructure.

In Mpopoma’s Blocks 70 and 71 residents have contributed US$5 per household to buy street solar lights and since the installation of the lights, cases of muggings and robberies have decreased.