The gruesome discovery of a body in Makhaza on Saturday evening 12 February has intensified calls for communities to work together to nip crime in the bud.
This after a body of a 33-year-old man was found lying in a pool of blood. He had a stab wound and was declared dead on the scene.
Harare police are investigating a murder case.
Capt Siyabulela Vukubi, police spokesperson, said at approximately 21:30 police were called to the scene of a dead man.
“No other information was received as he was declared dead on the scene,” said Vukubi.
Harare Community Policing Forum (CPF), which works in the Makhaza precinct, has called on communities to unite and fight the common enemy.
CPF chair Funeka Soldaat accused amaphara of injecting fear in the communities.
This, she said has led to people showing a blind eye on numerous social ills.
Soldaat urged residents to at least “distract” wrongdoings that happen in front of their eyes, but not to “interfere” as that may put their lives in danger.
“All we are saying don’t come closer, as you may be a victim as well. No one wants to die. But at least cause some disturbance and in the meantime alert authorities about what is taking place,” Soldaat pleaded.
“You will never know, with your disturbance a police van maybe just around the corner. As communities, especially in Khayelitsha, we are no longer as strong as we used to be back in the days,” she said.
Soldaat added that civic organisations used to be “very powerful” and did not affiliate themselves with political organisations, but focussed on the well-being of the people.
“That is why today, you can easily wake up and find a body lying in a pool of blood. People are scared to die and they only worry about themselves and their families. But we need the community presence because police alone will never win crime without the community assistance,” she said.
Soldaat said there was a need to depoliticise crime and fight it vigorously without doing that for any favour for communities to be safe.
Anyone with information is requested to contact Harare police at 021 393 9050