Crime has become a daily occurrence in this community...

Tired of the crime that has become like a plaque in their area, the people of Itsani at Tshisahulu, together with the local police, gathered on Sunday to seek ways to curb crime.

The mass meeting was held at the local Thivhulawi Makumbane Primary School. Tshisahulu Sanco chairperson Mr Aaron Nevhutanda said the area had become one of the worst crime zones in the region. “We are here as concerned citizens of this area. We need to put our heads together and see if we can  come up with  strategies  that can help us fight crime. Our area has become a dangerous place to live in. It is las if we are in our own prison where we are not allowed to move freely,” he said.

He said there had been many break-ins into people's houses, and there were many cases of murder that had occurred in the area. He said it was true that the community was worried about the many foreign nationals to whom most of the crime was attributed.

“It is not only Zimbabweans that are involved in crime, but even our children are involved. What we need is that all foreign nationals be registered, so that it will be easy to trace them if they commit a crime. Even if they run away, they will be traced back in their own countries,” he said.

He said he was happy that police had shown the commitment to work with the community in the fight against crime. On behalf of the police, Lt-Col Richard Madilonga, the crime prevention commander at Thohoyandou, said he was encouraged that the community had shown the willingness to work hand in hand with the police.

“The meeting has been very fruitful. One thing that brought hope is the registration of all foreign nationals who are residing in the area," he added.