Residents of Cowdray Park, in Bulawayo, are calling for strong neighbourhood watch committees as concern grows over rising crime in the area.
The residents said theft and other offences left many people feeling unsafe, particularly at night and they want greater community involvement in tackling the problem.
Methembe Sithole, a resident, told Southern Eye that the existing committee is “very weak”.
“There are some residents who want to get involved in stopping crime because the crime rate is very high in our area,” he said.
Sithole said many people in the suburb were living in fear, with some losing property and others avoiding going out after dark.
“As residents, we are worried because crime is too rampant in our area. People are losing property and some are no longer feeling safe, especially at night,” he said.
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Another resident, Prince Chikurukuta, said community members needed to work closely with the police.
“As residents we need to work together and support neighbourhood watch committees because the situation is becoming serious,” he said.
“Community members should be encouraged to participate more and work closely with the police so that criminal activities can be reduced.”
Chikurukuta said residents could play a key role in protecting the community if they were properly organised and supported.
“When people in the community work together and report crime, it becomes easier to fight crime,” he said.
Cowdray Park ward 28 councillor Ntando Ndlovu acknowledged that crime remained a concern due to the suburb’s size and rapid growth, adding that there had been a noticeable improvement compared to 6-12 months ago.
“The progress is largely due to the commendable work of neighbourhood watch committees, whose visibility policing has helped to deter opportunistic crimes,” Ndlovu said.
He said residents continued to report break-ins, theft and robberies, in poorly lit areas.
“I want to sincerely applaud both the neighbourhood watch committees for its dedication and the residents for the continued support they give, as this collective effort is key in strengthening community safety,” he said.
Ndlovu said the committees needed support through equipment, training and closer coordination with police. He added that council was improving infrastructure by upgrading and maintaining tower lights in key areas.
“I also want to emphasise the importance of residents contributing towards street lighting and urge the intensification of these efforts, as well-lit environments are a strong deterrent to crime,” Ndlovu said.
“We continue to engage regularly with the police and community structures to review trends and responses, ensuring a coordinated and proactive approach to reducing crime in Cowdray Park.”
Contacted for comment, Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said she did not comment on speculation, adding that her position was backed by data.
“I don’t just comment. I am backed by statistics. What increase are we talking about while we are having a reduction in crime? When people see one case, they think it’s increasing,” she said.