Harare police recover stolen goods

Harare police officers, together with members of neighbourhood watch, found cellphones, laptops and other goods when they searched a house in the Mandela Park area, which is believed to have been used to store stolen goods, on Saturday April 26.

According to Harare police station spokesperson Warrant Officer Nosiphiwo Mntengwane, the officers first searched the flats at the back of the house, which belonged to a 32-year-old Zimbabwean man, where they found 15 cellphones. When asked about the cellphones, he claimed to be fixing them but could not produce documentation to support this. 

Police then searched the main house and found several other items believed to have been stolen. A 42-year-old Zimbabwean woman at the house said they belonged to another resident who was not home at the time.

“The two have been arrested on charges of being found with stolen possessions," said Warrant Officer Mntengwane.

"This is the kind of relationship that we want with community stakeholders. We want to intensify our relationship so that we can squeeze the gap that criminals operate in," she said. "We want to ensure that our communities are safe for our children and everyone. We are always happy when we see such outcomes because of community partnership."

Community activist Funeka Soldaat said this was the second time that police conducted a successful raid, and she wanted to applaud the Mandela Park community and neighbourhood watch for their hard work. 

She added that sometimes it took time for residents to notice suspicious activities and to report it.

Resident Luyanda Mkhangelwa said he was happy that the relationship between the community and police had yielded arrests. He said the community has a huge responsibility in the fight against crime and that this should always be emphasised.