Armed robbers, sex offenders kept police busy in 2022

News
Paul Nyathi

ARMED robberies and child sexual abuse cases dominated criminal cases handled by the police in 2022, it has emerged.

Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said while an official annual report was still being compiled, there was an alarming increase in armed robbery and child sexual abuse cases in the country this year.

“I think the issue of people keeping money in their homes and companies keeping money in their offices contributed to some of the armed robbery cases which were recorded and the issue of leakage of information through company employees and through security companies,” Nyathi told Standard People.

“There is a need to improve the way companies handle cash in transit.

“On child sexual abuse, parents need to up the game in terms of protecting children given that we have cases of children as young as eight years of age getting pregnant.

“Some of the cases are swept under the carpet because they are committed by relatives or close family members.

“It shows that there is more, which the community can do.

“It’s not about arrests only, but the need for communities to be safety conscious every time.”

Nyathi said a detailed 2022 annual report was expected to be presented by police commissioner general Godwin Matanga to President Emmerson Mnangagwa, Home Affairs minister Kazembe Kazembe and Parliament.

In November, police deputy commissioner Learn Ncube told a Security Association of Zimbabwe breakfast meeting that armed robbery cases had become a thorn in the flesh for the law enforcement organ.

According to Ncube, cases of armed robberies where firearms were used went up by 15% to 1 043 between January and October 2022 compared to the same period last year.

He said cases of armed robbery where other weapons were used went up 35 to 3 566 while plain robbery cases grew by 12% to 3 933 during the period under review.

Armed robberies have been on the rise amid indications some of the cases involved serving and ex members of the security forces.

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