Police warn against mob violence National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi

Crime Reporter 

Police have warned members of the public against mob violence on any suspects they apprehend for committing crimes countrywide, as murder cases continue to increase.

According to police, the public should surrender to any nearest police stations, anyone they would have apprehended. 

Police said members of the public should not take the law into their hands. 

The warning comes after a suspected thief died in Seke after he was apprehended while stealing maize cobs in a field recently.

The suspect was assaulted by villagers and he died on admission to Chitungwiza Central Hospital. Investigations on the case are still in progress.

In a statement yesterday, national police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi urged the public to value the sanctity of human life.

“The ZRP is warning members of the public against mob violence and report all criminal cases at any nearest police station. This follows an incident in Chitungwiza on March 15, 2021 at about 2100hrs where a suspected maize thief was fatally assaulted.

“The victim was caught stealing maize cobs from a field at Savanhu Village, Seke and suspects struck him with iron bars several times and poured water on him. The victim was severely injured and sent to hospital where he died on admission,” he said.

Meanwhile, police have also urged the public to resolve their differences without the use of violence. 

“This comes after on March 14, 2021, a man aged 18 was fatally assaulted by a friend aged 17 after a misunderstanding at a football match.

“The suspect struck the victim with a log several times all over the body and the victim was sent to hospital where he later died,” Asst Comm Nyathi said. 

He said police have since arrested the suspect while the body of the victim was taken to a local hospital for post-mortem.

Last month police expressed concern over the increase in murder cases emanating from domestic disputes and robberies countrywide.

Most of the cases were reported and some of the suspects were arrested while others are still at large. Police are still investigating some of the cases.

This came after an incident in Battlefields, Kadoma on February 21, 2021 where two men fatally assaulted a fellow villager with a cooking stick several times all over the body after a dispute over cattle which strayed and destroyed crops. The victim was seriously injured and later died in hospital. The two suspects were arrested by the police.

A 31-year-old woman who had visited her sister was also killed by unknown assailants in Chinhoyi under unclear circumstances.

The ZRP also appealed for information which might lead to the arrest of murder suspects in a case which occurred between February 15 and February 17, 2021 at Plot 74, R1 Village, Two-Tree in Chinhoyi.

The victim who had visited her sister went missing on February 15 and was found dead near Two-Tree Dam on February 17. 

In a similar incident, police in Mahuhwe arrested two suspects over a murder, which occurred at Kauswa village under Chief Matsivo where a suspected thief was fatally assaulted by a mob.

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