Opposition Zimbabwean politician, Elisabeth Valerio said increased armed robbery cases in the country are worrisome and there is a need to address the root causes of the scourge.
Posting on X this Thursday, Valerio, who leads the United Zimbabwe Alliance (UZA) party, said the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) cannot end crime alone.
She appealed to churches, civil organisations, politicians and other stakeholders to assist the police in fighting crime. Said Valerio:
The increased number of armed robbery cases in Zimbabwe is worrisome. Growing up in Zimbabwe, these issues only came to life in movies, but now they are a daily reality in our country – a clear symptom of systemic flaws.
As a nation, we need to address the root causes. Young men with guns and drugs are never good news in any society.
It’s not only the duty of the police to end crime, but also the responsibility of churches, civil organizations, MPs, ministers, artists, educators – all of us. What can be done?
Valerio’s remarks come after CID Homicide detectives from Bulawayo shot dead three suspected armed robbers at Tuli River, Gwanda on Tuesday, 06 February.
The ZRP said the suspects were shot dead after they opened fire on the detectives after they were intercepted near the Tuli River around midday on Tuesday.
The suspects were reportedly linked to two robbery cases and an attempted murder case.
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