By Promise Dube
Police in Matabeleland South have imposed a temporary ban on carrying dangerous weapons in response to rising crime in parts of the province.
Chief Superintendent Siphiwe Makonese announced the prohibition for Umzingwane Police District, effective from 29 March to 25 June 2025.
The move follows a surge in violent crime, with police recording 12 murders, 184 assaults, and 108 robbery-related cases between December 2024 and February 2025.
The order also comes at a time when nationwide protests have been called for 31 March 2025 by war veteran Blessed Geza.
The order prohibits carrying or displaying weapons such as catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, and daggers in public. Police officers are authorized to confiscate banned weapons without a warrant. Those found in violation face a fine or up to six months in prison.
Similar bans have been introduced in Beitbridge, Gwanda, and Bulilima Mangwe districts, with varying durations. Beitbridgeโs prohibition runs from 29 March to 29 July 2025 due to a rise in crimes including murder, assault, robbery, and domestic violence. In Gwanda, the ban is in place from 29 March to 28 April 2025, while in Bulilima Mangwe, it runs from 27 March to 27 June 2025.
Police in Beitbridge cited crime statistics as the reason for the order, reporting six murders, 168 assaults, 158 cases of unlawful entry and theft, three vehicle thefts, 38 poaching incidents, 34 cases of malicious property damage, 24 thefts from vehicles, and several border-related crimes between November 2024 and March 2025.
The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has urged communities in affected districts to cooperate with law enforcement in maintaining peace and security.
