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Snr Asst Comm Charamba

Freeman Razemba Crime Reporter
NINE more murder cases have been recorded countrywide, bringing the total number of people that have been killed in separate incidents in the last 10 days to 18.

Police last week expressed concern over the increase in armed robbery and murder cases countrywide, with nine people having been murdered in five days in separate incidents.

Some of the cases recorded were as a result of domestic disputes, beer drinking, drug abuse and other social or related matters while others involved mentally-ill persons.

In an interview, chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday urged people to solve disputes amicably.

“Zimbabwe Republic Police has noted with concern the recent occurrence of murder and armed robbery cases throughout the country,” she said.

She said of nine of the murder cases reported last week were in Midlands Province which had the highest number with four, Matabeleland South had two while Bulawayo, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East recorded a case each.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said it was disturbing that some people were taking the law into their own hands.

Most of them used knives, knobkerries and beer bottles to commit the offences.

In one of the cases a 24-year-old Bulawayo woman was found dead after being murdered by unknown assailants who robbed her.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said they arrested a man in Silobela after he allegedly struck several times with an axe, a two-year-old boy following a dispute over witchcraft.

Police last week recorded five armed robbery cases while cases of unlawful entry also continue to increase.

Several people have been robbed while other had their houses raided by criminals during the night in and around the city. Over the weekend a pastor from a local church lost various goods at knife point to criminals who raided her home in the city.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said some of the robbers pounced on two truck drivers, a shop owner, a fuel attendant and raided houses while people were sleeping during the night.

She discouraged the public from carrying large amounts of money as they risk being robbed.