Commissioner General Godwin Matanga
GWERU – There is a worrying increase in crime in the Midlands province, with an average 1 300 cases being reported per month, police have said.
Speaking during Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Commissioner General Godwin Matanga’s recent tour of Gweru, officer commanding Midlands province, Assistant Commissioner Charles Ndoro said the crime rate had increased by 12 percent in 2018 as compared to 2017.
“We have put in place measures to reduce the increase in crime. The province has recorded 7 801 cases for the period of January to June 2018 as compared to the 6 965 cases recorded during the same period in 2017, translating to a 12 percent increase in crimes committed,” said Ndoro.
He said police in the province were operating with inadequate equipment and vehicles, thereby negatively impacting on policing efficiency.
“There are a number of challenges being faced by the police in conducting their operations well and these include lack of proper equipment, depleted fleet in terms of transport, and backward structures.
“By its very nature, policing requires an efficient transport system for swift responses and the province in this regard has been operating on a depleted fleet thereby compromising the quality of the organisation’s services.
“Another big challenge we are facing is human and material resources shortages…there still exist some gaps in terms of our human resource deployments,” he said.
Ass Comm Ndoro, however, expressed optimism that with support from Comm Gen Matanga, the province will be able to do better in the fight against crime and create a safer society for all people of the Midlands.
In his own address, Comm Gen Matanga warned police officers who engage in corruption that they were living on borrowed time, adding that the organisation will not hesitate to fire any members caught on the wrong side of the law.
