Norton Member of Parliament, Temba Mliswa (Independent), has pleaded with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is Acting President, to deploy soldiers in Norton with shoot to kill orders to deal with marauding machete gangs (MaShurugwi).
Mliswa claimed that Norton is becoming a no-go area as residents are being attacked and killed by machete gangsters, with the police apparently unable to deal with the criminals. Said Mliswa:
The Army must get into Norton to avert further loss of lives. We have said this before.
Norton is becoming a no-go area as the ZRP has been overpowered by makorokoza.
Now we don’t know whether they are part of the syndicate or not in light of their poor salaries.
Residents are dying and getting attacked. We cannot have political battles where people are killed.
Mliswa also claimed that the machete gangs are controlled by former State Security Minister Owen “Mudha” Ncube. He said:
This is the work of Mudha and his gangs. He captures police at the highest level so that nothing happens to his minions.
No one votes for a Gvt that cannot protect its people. If they think this is to target me then they are wrong.
The blood of the people will speak out. They did the same in Kwekwe and the killers of that CCC guy are still free.
… My appeal to Vice President Chiwenga, who is the Acting President, is to deploy soldiers who will shoot to kill. This is unacceptable.
According to Open Council, a man identified as Alexander Lala from Ward 7, was killed by a gang of drunk makorokoza over the weekend.