Bangiza a traditional mbira song rehearsal by Robert Simbarashe Zvidza, Hebron Muronzi Chikanga, Chitova, Chihera and Dziva

New breed of car thieves on the prawl

 

By Robert Zvidza

 

One evening Obey Marufu (36) was driving a Toyota Quantum vehicle in Harare Central Business District along Nelson Mandela Avenue.

 

At Corner Park Street and Nelson Mandela, he was enticed by trendy sports shoes which were being sold by vendors on the pavement opposite a service station and he stopped to buy himself a pair. He parked his vehicle, switched off the engine, closed the doors of the motor vehicle, and left the ignition keys on the port, after all this transaction would not take time.

 

Unknown to Marufu, someone was watching him closely and as soon as he left to engage the shoe vendors, the person took advantage of the keys in the ignition, opened the door of the motor vehicle, and drove off at high speed.

 

Marufu was alerted by the skidding tyres of the vehicle and upon checking, he saw the vehicle he had parked being driven away at high speed.

 

He tried to give chase but the accused person had disappeared into heavy traffic and away he went.

 

Inside the vehicle, Marufu had left his smartphone with a netone line. He then made a report at ZRP Harare Central.

 

Marufu is among many complainants who have lost their vehicles in that manner after leaving their vehicles unattended with keys on the ignition.

 

These cases have been on the increase of late and Detectives have been grappling with such matters and have unearthed a new trend that has hit the country.

 

Statistics availed to this publication indicate that in March alone, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Vehicle Theft Squad had received 24  such cases and 14 of robbery of motor vehicles. 

 

On most occasions, vehicles could be recovered and dumped in different locations without batteries or some small parts but these criminals seem to have brought a South African flare into their thiving.

 

Once a vehicle is stolen in South Africa, chances of it being recovered are next to non as thieves quickly take it to a garage in homes and strip it for parts or change its appearance in a matter of hours by respraying it and changing plates among other disguising methods.

 

“We have discovered that these criminals now take these vehicles to remote areas where they then strip the vehicle of parts and resale the parts to second-hand spare parts dealers,” said the Officer-In-Charge CID Vehicle Theft Squad, Detective Chief Inspector Michael Chiodza in an interview recently.

 

As Detectives were working on the case of a stolen Toyota Quantum, investigations led to the arrest of Lameck Phiri of Mbare in Harare and recovered the smartphone which was stolen together with the car. The phone had been placed for sale.

 

This then unearthed a car stealing syndicate that had been on a rampage in the recent past their way of operating. Lameck led the detectives to his accomplice  in Zin’anga Village, Seke in Chitungwiza at Chinamasa Homestead where they arrested last Chinamasa (35) who worked in Cahoots with Lameck and there the Toyota Quantum was recovered.

 

However, the accused had already stripped the motor vehicle of its gearbox, engine, starter motor, and battery and had already sold the parts in Msasa and Gazaland in Highfields. These were recovered by the detectives during investigations. The battery was recovered at Lameck’s place of residence.

 

The number plates of the vehicle were also dumped in a maize field in Sunningdale and Lameck led the detectives to their recovery.

 

“We further recovered four other vehicles that were stolen by the same accused persons in the same manner and after stealing they would change the identity of the car by replacing the doors with doors of a different colour, they also tempered with the fenders and the vehicle number plates as well as the chassis number and the engine number under the bonnet.

 

“Even if they drove the car around, the owners would hardly identify it because it would have been changed its identity,” said Det C/Insp Chiodza.

 

But in all the cases that we have unearthed, they use the same method of taking advantage of those that leave keys on the ignition.

 

One man had his car stolen in the Central Business District in January in the morning after he left his Toyota Runex unattended with keys on the ignition as he rushed into Adams clothing shop only to be told by a security guard that there was someone who had driven his motor vehicle away.

 

Similarly, Owen Muleya parked his vehicle at a restaurant in the Central Business District and spent 30 minutes eating. As he was about to go, he unlocked his vehicle and started the engine, however, he discovered that he had forgotten dog food in the restaurant and left the car running with the keys on the ignition. He returned only to see his motor vehicle missing.

 

These vehicles have since been recovered by police by the accused persons who were recently arrested.

 

“We have always spread the word to the people not to leave car keys on the ignition when disembarking. They should make sure they lock the doors and carry their keys with them,said Det C/Insp Chiodza.

 

Despite the arrest of the duo, detectives still suspect they could be more of these thieves still roaming the streets freely and calling upon members of the public to supply information if there are any people whom they suspect.

 

“As CID, we are seized with these cases and we are calling upon the members of the public to report any sinister activities which they suspect to be criminal to us, especially those that deal in motor vehicles.

 

“These people live among us and do their deals within homes so it is only the members of the public who can assist us.”

 

He further warned people of those criminals who also rob people and steal motor vehicles as the trend though lower in numbers is also prevalent.

 

“Be vigilant when driving and know your surroundings. Once you suspect that someone is following you, drive straight to a police station,”he said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Human Trafficking: The ugly face of slavery showing up in sophistry

 

 By Robert Zvidza

Having separated from her husband, Sarah* (27) was left alone in the care of her two young children. The marriage had broken down yes but the kids still needed care yet she found the going tough. The father of the kids did not offer enough. Even the mentainance fee that she gets is not enough to cater for school fees and food for the children.

 On the other hand her friend whom she grew up with seems to be doing well across the Limpopo where she is able to take care of her family despite the fact that she is a simple maid. This gives here a thought to try cross boarders for such opportunities.

As she scrolls through her cellphone one lazy afternoon, she stumbles upon a whatsapp advertisement of domestic jobs in the Middle East and the package is so attractive.

Domestic worker jobs are offering handsome pay and other allowances like holiday packages among others to come with it.

She soon joins a whatsapp group where testimonies of those who purpot to have been assisted by the urgents testify to the fact that they are indeed living well in these countries and their lives have changed for the better.

Sarah has a valid Zimbabwean passport but has no money to raise airfares to the Middle East so that her life changes for the better like others. After all many Zimbabweans are working in the Diaspora. She already sees herself as a changed person staying in her own house which she will build on her return and driving at least a car around town.

The headache of not having airfares is not an issue for the agents as they, among their promises, pay for airfares and visa fees for her travel. Everything has been made easy for her and Sarah starts preparations to depart for the Middle East to work and earn better than Civil Servants.

Even family members already envisage a better life as such they help with preparations for departure. They even escort her to the airport to make sure she is gone.

But as soon as they arrive at their destination, life is not as rosy as promised. Sarah has jumped from a frying pan to the fire. She is taken from the local airport to her employer who on arrival confiscates her passport and her cellphone. The job is there but the money is paltry and Sarah now sees her dream crumbling before her. She works long hours, is not given food to eat, and is not allowed to go out of the durawall or take off days.

 Slavery!!!

That’s the life many Zimbabwean women have been subjected to in the recent past and many have since gotten in touch with their relatives who have engaged to Government of Zimbabwe to intervene and repatriate them back home.

Since 14 December 2021, there has been an upsurge in suspected cases of Trafficking in Persons of young women in Oman. The trafficking is being perpetrated by agents who recruit desperate people on the pretext of lucrative employment opportunities as domestic workers in Oman.

The targeted people are invited to join different WhatsApp groups for maids seeking jobs. One such group is Maid Agency. Upon joining the groups, they are offered lucrative salaries ranging from USD400-500 and good working conditions. The agents pay for tickets and visas for the victims. Unknowingly, the victims who fall prey only realise the trap upon arrival in Oman where their traveling documents are confiscated.

The victims interviewed indicated that they were subjected to labour exploitation earning no pay or only an equivalent of USD50 per month, physical and emotional abuse. Apart from that, the agents also demanded large sums of money equivalent to about USD3000 money from the victims as a refund for processing their visas and air tickets.

As of now, about 18 Zimbabweans have reached their families and the Government is trying to repatriate them back home from Oman after they were subjected to exploitation in different forms.

The numbers could be more according to the Permanent Seretary of Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage, Aaron Nhepera who recently chaired the First Quarter Inter-Ministerial Committee on Trafficking of Persons meeting recently.

“Human Trafficking is pervasive in nature and we are currently handling 18 cases that have been brought before us as a committee, we have given ourselves tasks to find ways of bringing our citizens back. However, we believe there could be more probably reaching a 100 mark but are not reported,” said the Perm Sec.

Over the years Zimbabweans have been victims of Human Trafficking and back in 2016, over 140 trafficked Zimbabwean women were repatriated from Kuwait and many more were reported to be still held there.

The Government of Zimbabwe responded to the scourge by launching a Trafficking in Persons (TiP) National Plan of Action (NAPLAC) to operationalize the Trafficking in Persons Act, which was passed in 2014 to fight against human trafficking in the country.

The plan is underpinned by the 4Ps - Prevention, Protection, Prosecution, and Partnership - Among the actions it prioritises is strengthening tools for the identification of victims of trafficking, which is the baseline for measuring an effective response.

As the problem comes again, there is a need to conscientise people as continue to flock to Oman despite the warnings of exploitation there. Last month, CID officers at Robert Mugabe International Airport to conscientize all Zimbabweans going to Oman and other Middle East countries on the Trafficking in Persons situation currently prevailing. However, some Zimbabweans continue to travel to Oman despite awareness campaigns being undertaken.

 There has been another situation of people who were repatriated from Kuwait and they are a current case of another case of trafficking in Oman.

*Not her real name