Thieves raid quarantine centre

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
POLICE are investigating theft of blankets and mattresses from a quarantine centre in Beitbridge town.

Thieves allegedly broke into a storeroom at the Covid-19 transit, isolation and quarantine centre for Zimbabwean returnees from South Africa and stole 27 blankets and several mattresses.

The quarantine centre is at the National Social Security (Nssa) hotel, 2km from the Beitbridge Border Post.

The quarantine centre has a capacity to accommodate 280 people but Government decided to accommodate a maximum of 150 people.

According to sources close to the case, the theft was discovered on Christmas Day when officials from the Social Services Department wanted to check-in some returnees who had arrived from South Africa.

“The theft was discovered by the Social Services officers who wanted to allocate the mattresses to new arrivals.

So far it has been established that 27 blankets were stolen while the number of the stolen mattresses is yet to be ascertained,” said the source.

The officer commanding Beitbridge District, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo said they were investigating the matter.

“We have received a report of unlawful entry and theft from the quarantine centre.

“However, I cannot disclose any further details at this stage and investigations are underway,” he said.