Zim News Blog -NEWS NETWORK

BRUSSELS,- UEFA and FIFA contravened EU law by preventing the formation of a Super League, [...]

Source: Gun amnesty fails to bring down violent crime -Newsday Zimbabwe

A PRESIDENTIAL amnesty on illegal firearm holders has done little to stop violent crime as Zimbabwe continues to witness armed robberies.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa in August last year declared an amnesty on all illegal firearm holders to voluntarily surrender them to their nearest police stations with no questions asked.

The amnesty followed a spike in armed robberies and other offences involving the use of firearms throughout the country.

At least 538 guns were surrendered before the deadline of the amnesty.

The amnesty was later extended.

However, Zimbabwe has continued to witness violent crime involving the use of unlicensed firearms.

In a statement, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi warned criminals that the law enforcement agency was ready to respond to violent crime in a proportionate manner.

Nyathi was responding to the killing of two armed robbers, including a South African national, in Arcadia, Harare, on Tuesday.

“The police assures the public that it will account for all criminals and ensure the law takes its course. Any form of confrontation with the police will be met with an appropriate response,” Nyathi said.

According to the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (ZimStat), the country is witnessing a rise in robber cases.

“The Zimbabwean community has of late experienced more incidences of crime that include theft, robbery, sexual offences, drug-related crimes and murder,” ZimStat said in its 2023 3rd quarter crime statistics report.

“Such vices leave society entangled with emotional, psychological and physical damage. In addition, acts of crime may result in tensions within families, financial losses, expenditures on private deterrence, mental disorders and loss of life.”

Reports indicate that criminals are smuggling firearms into Zimbabwe.

ZimStat added: “To this end, the production of crime statistics informs policy development and planning in the criminal justice system. Further, crime statistics expose crime trends in communities thereby enabling law enforcement arms to develop strategic interventions to curtail growth in crime rates.”

In the Arcadia case, Nyathi yesterday confirmed the death of Jabulani Ngobeni (45) and Godknows Machingura (44) during a shootout incident and the arrest of Ndiafhi Makhado (39), Andrew Masubelele (38), Paul Zhou (55) and Emmanuel Makamo (22) for conspiracy to commit armed robbery in Kwekwe on December 19, 2023.

He said Makhado, Ngobeni, Masubelele and Makamo travelled from  South Africa with the intention to commit armed robberies.

On December 19, detectives from CID Homicide Harare received information that the suspects were booked at a guest house along Mauritius Road in Arcadia.

The detectives raided the guest house, resulting in the suspects bolting out.

Nyathi said Ngobeni fired shots towards the detectives and a shootout ensued, resulting in him being shot in the hip.

Subsequently, Ngobeni, Makhado, Masubelele, Zhou and Makamo were arrested.

The arrest led to the recovery of a 9mm Star pistol loaded with four rounds of ammunition.

Makhado, Ngobeni, Masubelele and Makamo were injured during the shootout and were referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for treatment, where Ngobeni died on admission.

Zhou confessed to the detectives that he booked the accommodation and hired two vehicles, a Toyota Fortuner registration number AFX 0554 and a Honda Fit vehicle AFO 7446, after receiving US$400 from Machingura.

The suspects revealed to the detectives that they had hatched a plan to commit robbery along Birmingham Road in Kwekwe.

Machingura was said to be in Shamva where he was monitoring the movement of their target.

Subsequently, he was lured to Morgan High School in Arcadia, where he was arrested after being shot in the groin following a high-speed chase and a shootout with the detectives.

His arrest led to the recovery of a 9mm Taurus pistol with a magazine of nine live rounds. Machingura was referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, where he died upon admission.

Nyathi said the law enforcement agency had also gathered information to the effect that the criminals wanted to kidnap some prominent people in the country for ransom.

Meanwhile, police have released the names of six of the nine people who died in a road traffic accident at the 43km peg along the Harare-Mukumbura Highway on Monday.

They are Loice Kapinga (24), a female adult of Chinhango Street in Manera, Banket, Shadreck Chigora (18), a male adult of Machiringe Primary School, Mary Mount, Rushinga, George Maforo (36), a male adult of Chinhango Street, Manera, Banket, Tanyaradzwa Gomo (5), a female juvenile of Kaunda Street Banket,  Angela Kuhondo (6), a female juvenile of 24 Chinhango Street, Manera, Banket and Nyasha Faisoni (21), a female adult of Nduku Village, Mazowe.

The identification of three other victims is awaiting DNA results.

Police also released the names of seven of the eight people who died in an accident along the Harare-Bulawayo Highway near National Museum of African Liberation in Warren Park, Harare, last Friday.

They are Spencer Kaseke (24), a male adult of Kuwadzana 5, Fortune Murandu (35), a female adult of Kuwadzana Extension, Letwin Shamhu (55), a female adult of Kuwadzana 3, Magada Benny (27), a male adult of New Malborough, Ruth Anderson (35), a female adult of Glen Norah, Andrena Chesure (30), of Kuwadzana Phase 3 and Gunguwo Principal Sam (24), a male adult of Makwasina Escrow in Zvishavane.

The remaining victim is yet to identified.

The post Gun amnesty fails to bring down violent crime appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: Moreblessing Ali’s killer jailed 30 years -Newsday Zimbabwe

A HIGH Court Judge yesterday sentenced Pius Mukandi, also known as Pius Jamba, to 30 years in jail for the murder of Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) activist, Moreblessing Ali.

Ali’s body was cut into pieces and her remains were discovered in a disused well.

High Court judge Justice Esther Muremba delivered the 30-year sentence that was confirmed by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ).

“Pias Mukandi alias Jamba, who was convicted for the murder of Moreblessing Ali on December 4, 2023 has been sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by the Harare High Court,” the NPAZ statement read.

In court, Jamba denied the allegations arguing that he was used as a sacrificial lamb to cool down political tempers in the Nyatsime area following bloody clashes between Zanu PF and CCC supporters.

However, Justice Muremba said there was overwhelming evidence that Jamba was the only person who argued with Ali before she went missing.

The judge said Jamba’s warned and cautioned statement accurately matched the indications he made at the crime scene, confirming that he killed Ali. The judge said it was clear that the murder was not politically motivated.

Ali’s body was found dumped in a well in a decomposing state at Jamba’s mother’s homestead more than two weeks after she went missing.

The body was cut into pieces before it was stashed in sacks and dumped in a well.

The post Moreblessing Ali’s killer jailed 30 years  appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: 604 people killed in accidents in 2023 Q3 –Newsday Zimbabwe

AT LEAST 604 people died in road traffic accidents recorded during the third quarter, the Zimbabwe Statistical Agency (ZimStat) has revealed.

In its latest report on transport statistics, ZimStats said the country witnessed a 15% increase in fatalities during the third quarter of 2023 despite a slight decrease in overall road traffic accidents.

“Of the 12 564 road traffic accidents that were reported during third quarter 2023, deaths were 604 and injuries were 2 624,” ZimStats said.

While the total number of accidents decreased by 3,2% compared to the second quarter, fatalities increased.

“Road traffic accidents decreased by 3,2% compared to the second quarter 2023.  Of the 12 564 road traffic accidents reported in third quarter 2023, 460 were fatal.  A quarter-on-quarter comparison shows a 15,0% increase from 400 fatal accidents reported in second quarter 2023.”

About 20 people have been killed in the past four days in traffic accidents recorded during the start of the festive season.

Most traffic accidents are blamed on human error and poor roads.

ZimStat also revealed that less than half of motorists have legal driver licences.

According to the report, 61 644 candidates undertook a certificate of competency test during the third quarter of 2023, and only 43,2% succeeded.

The report shows that in all provinces except Bulawayo, the proportion of candidates who passed provisional driver’s licence tests during 3rd quarter of 2023 were above 50%, ranging from 59,9% in Midlands to 78,0 in Mashonaland East and Mashonaland Central, respectively.

About 80% of the individuals, who were retested, succeeded.

Previously, a World of Statistics report on road traffic accidents ranked Zimbabwe as one of the world’s two countries with the most unsafe road networks.

According to World of Statistics, 41 per every 100 000 people die of road traffic injuries in Zimbabwe.

According to statistics released by ZimStat, 8 897 people died in traffic accidents between 2019 and 2022.

Approximately 2 079 people lost their lives in 52 585 road traffic accidents recorded last year alone.

The post 604 people killed in accidents in 2023 Q3 appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.

Source: CSOs blast ‘ridiculous’ MPs demands -Newsday Zimbabwe

CIVIC Society Organisations (CSOs) have castigated Members of Parliament (MPs) for demanding hefty perks and top-of-the-range vehicles among other luxuries when the citizenry is wallowing in poverty.

The CSOs under the umbrella body Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiCZ) said the demands made  by the MPs were not only ridiculous

but selfish and divorced from their core duty to serve ordinary citizens.

The MPs threatened not to pass Finance minister Mthuli Ncube’s budget unless he doled out a number of luxuries to ensure they enjoy their five-year term in Parliament.

They want their spouses to stay in hotels while they carry out their legislative duties including payment of salaries of their personal workers.

Ncube, who was already under fire over his anti-poor budget,  was forced to set aside an additional ZWL$225 billion for the parliamentary budget, bringing it to an astronomical ZWL$700 billion.

CiCZ spokesperson, Marvelous Kumalo, said the MPs had let down the electorate.

“The CiCZ condemns the actions of some MPs who have brazenly put their own wealth and reckless pleasure above the interests and welfare of the Zimbabwean people,” Kumalo said.

“Not only are the demands made by these MPs during the budget debate — including top-of-the-range Toyota

Land Cruiser vehicles, hotel stays for their spouses and extremely luxurious fringe benefits — excessive in themselves, they also show a shocking knack of insensitivity to the reality of ordinary citizens in our country.”

Kumalo said it was disheartening to see elected officials putting their own interests ahead of the nation they are charged with serving.

“At a time when the people of Zimbabwe are suffering from a stagnant economy, high unemployment and increasing poverty, hearing such selfish demands from their legislators only adds to the ruling elite’s growing distance from the people,” he said.

“This action, this concession to the demands of MPs, is a great disappointment and a disgrace as it only serves to reinforce the impression that the entire ruling party is riding the wave of success.”

Kumalo further said those elected to public office must demonstrate a firm commitment to serving the people who put them in public positions.

“Their duty is to put the interest and development of our country above themselves and not to use their offices for their own benefit,” Kumalo said.

“We, therefore, call on Parliament and the Minister of Finance to stop directing their efforts towards the accumulation of wealth and perks by a select few and start solving the problems of the Zimbabwean people.”

He added: “This incident reminds us that we urgently need systemic reforms to make our political institutions accountable, transparent and ethical.”

Over the years, MPs, the majority from poor backgrounds, have made it a habit to arm-twist the Finance minister to bankroll their dream lifestyles including having diplomatic passports.

The post CSOs blast ‘ridiculous’ MPs demands appeared first on Zimbabwe Situation.