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Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
POLICE have started deploying officers to monitor the situation and ensure the security of citizens ahead of Saturday’s by-elections as well as the festive season.
They have also called on the political parties to be peaceful in their conduct and to observe the laws of the country. Speaking in an interview with Sunday News in Bulawayo, police national spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said police have stepped up their deployment ahead of Saturday’s by-elections and the upcoming festive holidays.
“With regards to the forthcoming by-elections, the ZRP has stepped up its operations in terms of deployment. We are highly alert and will be monitoring the situation. We plead with political parties to be exemplary in their conduct.
“They must not use language that divides the people or promote hatred or incite violence. We also urge them to co-operate with the police in terms of the way they conduct their gatherings with specific reference to the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act. We are deploying officers before, during and after the by-elections to ensure that peace prevails,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
He said with regards to the festive season, the Commissioner-General of Police Godwin Matanga made it clear that the ZRP was going to work with other stakeholders to ensure that the traffic jungle was tamed during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
“We want motorists to play their part by avoiding as much as possible to travel at night where vision is impaired.
Remember the recent case of 22 people who died along the Bulawayo- Beitbridge Road, it was at night. We also advise motorists not to overload their vehicles. Where a vehicle should be carrying 10 people let it be, because some of the accidents are caused by vehicles which are overloaded,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Turning to cases of unlawful entry and theft that have been rampant in Bulawayo, Asst Comm Nyathi said most of those occur when home owners are away. He said during the day, people will not be at home and the criminals take advantage of that while at night thieves take advantage of people who will be asleep. He urged members of the public to secure their properties and know the serial numbers of their electrical gadgets so that they are able to link it to the owner once recovered.
“We always encourage the public to secure their properties. If it is a television set, they must know the serial number, same applies to laptops. They should also employ what we call target hardening and target removal with regards to the safety of their property. We also call on the public to partner with their local police and have community policing structures in place which can assist, monitor and conduct patrols in their areas.
“Above all, we want the public not to give information to each and every person about their family’s travelling itinerary. Those with domestic workers must ensure that the domestic workers are vetted because some of them connive with criminals and give out information,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
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