Armed robberies have become the order of the day in Zimbabwe with business people and security companies losing lots of transit money on a daily basis. Of late, the security personnel have also been implicated in robberies involving large sums of money.

Bikita East legislator Johnson Madhuku on Wednesday asked the government to explain its position regarding the proliferation of cases of armed robberies throughout the country.

“Thank you very much, my question is directed to the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage. Madam Speaker Ma’am, in recent days and months we have been seeing a proliferation of cases of armed robberies throughout the country,” he asked.

“It is so disturbing because as a nation, we are feeling that we are very unsecure. A lot of people are being shot and in some cases, even by guns with silencers.

“I would want to ask the Hon. Minister for Home Affairs, what has been put in place by the Ministry to ensure that they are proactive and also they rapidly react or respond to such cases of armed robbery so that we feel safe? I thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am.”

In response, Home Affairs Deputy Minister Maboyi said the government was facilitating measures to curb armed robberies. She further stated that the shortage of police vehicles sometimes hinders their efforts.

“Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am for the question which has been asked. We are very worried about the armed robberies which are happening. Police are not everywhere but we are trying our best to make sure that we protect the people, banks and so forth. However, you will find that things are happening.

“We are talking of people who are intelligent and are also understudying the police. I do not think that we are all happy here about what is happening but it is happening.

“We are facilitating whatever we are able to do. If armed robberies are happening, usually we go and attend to that and at times we do not have vehicles to dash quickly but we are trying to do everything we can,” she said.

-Newsday