The escalation of crime in Nyanga has compelled the officers and various community stakeholders to look at new approaches to curb crime.
On Tuesday 31 May, Nyanga police, religious leaders and other community stakeholders held a walking prayer at the corner of New Eisleben and Miller roads to denounce crime.
The initiative, which was called spiritual crime prevention, was spearheaded by the police.
Nyanga Police Station social crime prevention unit Const Nandisa Mpengesi described the initiative as part of empowering and alleviating crime in the area. She said it is time for the community to join hands and fight crime and gender-based violence (GBV).
“We decided to come up with a new approach which is spiritual intervention. We also encourage religious and traditional leaders to come on board,” said Mpengesi, adding that they believe that both religious and traditional leaders are respected people in society.
She also urged the religious leaders to speak out against GBV in their churches.
“GBV is everywhere, even in churches. Some of the church leaders are also the perpetrators of GBV. We want them to be part of the solution,” explained Mpengesi.
She mentioned Crossroads, Ramaphosa informal settlement and Browns Farm as some of the hotspots, with car hijackings, robberies, house break-ins, shootings as some of the regular crimes.
Leader of Exodus Faith Apostolic Church in Zion at Lusaka Arch Bishop Bongani Ncwadi described the walking prayer as part of spiritual intervention.
“We are appealing to God to intervene and alleviate crime in our societies. Ordinary people, police,and children are killed every day. We want to reclaim our streets from the criminals,” he said.