IT is said justice delayed is justice denied. We therefore want to applaud the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for its prompt response to the upsurge in cases of violence perpetrated by machete-wielding gangs.
The commission has set up special courts to exclusively handle cases of violence involving these gangs that are terrorising small scale miners and communities around the country. These machete-wielding gangs are wreaking havoc in both rural and urban areas where they are robbing people and, in some cases, killing their victims.
Officially opening the 2020 legal year at the Bulawayo High Court on Monday, Deputy Chief Justice Elizabeth Gwaunza said special courts to specifically handle cases involving machete wielding gangs have been set up in all affected areas across the country.
Justice Gwaunza said the judiciary stands ready to decisively deal with machete wielding gangs. She urged key players in the administration of justice to complement each other in the fight against the menace.
The Deputy Chief Justice said the organised terror gangs had the potential to create anarchy in the country if they are not rapidly neutralised. “Institutions mandated to protect citizens can therefore not sit back and watch a few rogue elements terrorise the entire nation for their selfish benefits,” said Justice Gwaunza.
The upsurge in criminal cases involving machete gangs across the country has prompted Parliament to institute a probe to unearth the origins of these gangs. Parliament said it wants to find out how they operate, the impact of their actions and what can be done to stop them.
The activities of these gangs, Parliament noted, are having devastating effects on the lucrative mining sector. The machete-wielding gangs’ criminal activities have wreaked havoc at gold mining sites across the country causing deaths and injuries of many people.
The Parliament investigation which is already underway, is being carried out by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development. The criminal activities of the machete gangs are fast getting out of hand and what is worrying is that the gangs are so daring to the extent of attacking armed police officers.
The gangs killed a police officer Constable Wonder Hokoyo in Battlefields near Kadoma before New Year, a gold buyer Marko Dube who was killed a few days ago and several others across the country.
Last week 40 men armed with machetes raided Zenda Police Base in Gokwe North in an attempt to forcibly take away nine of their members who had been arrested for armed robbery. Police shot and injured two of the ring leaders before rounding up the other 38 who are now in police custody.
On the same day five masked men armed with machetes raided worshippers at Zaoga Church in Mkoba Village 16 in Gweru and robbed the worshippers of cellphones, cash and other valuables before disappearing into the dark.
What is disturbing is that Zimbabweans no longer respect the sanctity of life hence the increased cases of murders during robberies. There is a need to investigate the source of machetes and guns that are being used in the robberies.
Now that the special courts have been set up, the wheels of justice should move fast to enable the judiciary to rid society of these undesirable elements that are terrorising innocent people.