Noevale residents urged to be vigilant amidst rising crime rates

 Nyamasoka Shyleen

Staff Writer

crime and courts

Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Zvishavane, Midlands has cautioned Midlands State University (MSU) students to be vigilant with their personal belongs when the new semester commences and comes to a close as theft cases have been on the rise in Noevale area.

Thieves have been targeting students’ residences both on and off campus making off with valuable goods such as laptops, phones and cash. The thieves seem to strike during peak hours when students are in class or away from their residences. At most, thieves strike when the semester begins as most students will be away for freshman parties and also at the close of the semester whereby students would go out at night celebrating the end of the semester.

“We’ve had reports of thieves breaking into students’ rooms, especially during peak hours when students are at campus or away from their residences”, says Angela Banda, a Kandodo and Noevale ward 10 councilors. “We urge students to be cautious and report any suspicious activity to the police immediately”, she added.

A local resident, Primrose Moyo expressed concern about the safety of students in the area. “These children are our children and we want to ensure they’re safe. We need to work together as a community to prevent these thefts”. She also said that as a community, they are going to help students to protect their valuable goods because they treat them like their own children.

“I lost my laptop, phone and groceries to thieves last semester. It was a huge setback and I was at the bar with others as we were done with exams but I have learned to be more careful now,” Paddington Taderera a level4.2 studying Development Planning and Management shared his experience of being a victim of theft. It is believed that the thieves knows that the semester is now closing and most students will be out during the night and will be drunk, so they take that as an opportunity to strike.

Constable Kamuchira Rolnald from Zvishavane Police Station has advised students and residents to take precautions to secure their valuables. “As ZRP, we’ve set patrols in the area but we need the community’s help to prevent these crimes. Students should keep their valuables secure and residents should report any suspicious activity to us”. 

The police offered the following safety tips:

⦁ Keep valuables secure and out of sight

⦁ Avoid walking alone at night

⦁ Keep doors and windows locked

⦁ Report any suspicious activity to the police

⦁ Avoid going out at night

Residents and students are commended to work together to prevent theft and ensure a safe and secure community.