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Angela Sibanda, Chronicle Reporter
Old Pumula suburb residents have appealed to authorities to ensure that a man suffering from a mental illness who is in the habit of assaulting women and children is placed in a proper institution before his actions turn tragic.

Residents also said little children were now learning the wrong things as the man sometimes moves around shouting vulgar words.

During a residents meeting held at Old Pumula hall, residents identified the man as Obert and added that he is a threat to society.

The man lives at the back of Old Pumula Post Office.

A resident, Ms Lucia Ncube who has been threatened by the man before said people were not safe.

“I sweep around the business area and we place garbage in one place for easy collection by the garbage collectors.

Obert comes and burns everything up and one day I am telling you, he will burn down that post office, sometimes he even chases me wanting to beat me up,” she said.

Residents said at some point a family member came intending to collect him but he refused.

It is believed that he has a home in Nyamandlovu where his family resides.

Another concerned resident Mr Nhlanhla Moyo said sometimes the man seizes groceries from people coming out of shops.

“The attacks are not really an everyday thing because sometimes he acts a little bit normal but when it happens, he takes people’s groceries and threatens them. He even beats up school children who pass through,” he said.

It is also alleged that sometimes he roams around shops shouting at people using vulgar language and a resident, Mr Cain Moyo said he was concerned that this was getting out of hand as little children around were learning the wrong things.

“This is a public space and we have kids running around. These things that he shouts around are really damaging.

It’s not good for the society.  He needs to be taken away,” he said.

Residents claimed that they once reported the matter at the local police station but they were told that there was need for the presence of the man’s relative for him to be taken to Ingutsheni Central Hospital.