HIGH Court judge Justice Francis Bere has bemoaned the increase in murder cases in Masvingo province where an average of three people are killed every month mostly over petty issues.
By Charles Laiton/Tatenda Chitagu
Addressing guests at the official opening of the Masvingo High Court Circuit on Monday, Justice Bere said the statistics were worrisome.
“I have noticed that over the years, we deal with an average of 12 murder cases per circuit which roughly translates to almost three murder cases per month and these figures are too high for a small country like ours,” Justice Bere said.
“We must be concerned as a country with our strange appetite to resort to violence as a way to resolve our differences. We must, as a people, learn to exercise restraint in the event of disputes and seek the intervention of both our traditional and civic leadership in the event of disputes. Spilling blood invariably leads to further complications.
“Always remember animals quarrel and fight to stamp their authority over others, but man must learn to debate and discuss in order to have permanent solutions to their challenges,” he said.
Justice Bere also urged the police to be techno-savvy in investigating matters to be brought before the courts and move with modern policing trends to avoid the culprits walking scot-free due to lack of evidence.
“It occurs to me that there is need for the ZRP as an institution to enthuse itself with modern trends in investigations, especially when dealing with more complex matters such as rape, armed robbery and murder cases.
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“We would want to see more use of forensic examinations to avoid the culprits being let off the hook on some other technicalities,” Justice Bere said.
The judge also urged the police to remain cognisant of the people’s rights as laid down in the Constitution in order to avoid litigation.
