THE Zimbabwe Republic Police have moved a gear up in their fight against machete-wielding gangsters as 1 800 members of machete-wielding gangs have been arrested of which 77 have since been convicted.
Speaking at Gweru Main Camp after a tour of police stations in the city, Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe this Friday said more than 1 800 members of machete-wielding gangs have been arrested in the past month as police clamp down on criminals wreaking havoc in mining
“The police should be commended for a job well done because in the past month or so, more than 1 800 members of machete-wielding gangs masquerading as gold panners have been arrested across the country.
“The police are winning the war against these criminals. Only recently, 77 members of these gangs were convicted and sent to jail and a number have pending matters before the courts. This shows that the police have acted and that is why we have people being arrested every day,” said the Minister who was accompanied by his deputy, Mike Madiro and police
I Zimbabwe Republic Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga said as law enforcers they are working tirelessly to put an end to machetes gangs to ensure that law and order prevails.
We are tired of machete-wielding criminals who masquerade as small scale miners. Cases of such criminals have been on an increase of late. Ladies and gentlemen this is unacceptable. We have to stand with the people. The police will not watch such lawlessness prevailing, said Commissioner-General Matanga.
Machete gangs’ have wreaked havoc at gold mining sites across the country, causing deaths and injuries and threatening the entire gold mining industry, and have been moving into other violent crime in towns, cities and rural business centres
