Ex-convicts under surveillance

POLICE in Masvingo will put more than 220 pardoned inmates from Mutimurefu Prison under surveillance as part of measures to reduce crime during and after the Easter holiday.

President Mnangagwa last week pardoned 3 000 prisoners from the country’s jails in an amnesty targeting mainly female inmates, raising fears of a spike in crime.

Acting Officer Commanding Police in Masvingo Assistant Commissioner Coneli Dube said they would monitor the movements of pardoned inmates across the province.

Assistant Commissioner Dube, who was speaking during the provincial launch of the ZRP police patrol unit, said the police service was going to increase visibility during and after the Easter holiday.

“We are following the national strategies in order to control crime during and after the Easter holiday,” he said.

“Police will carry out patrols throughout the province with details on foot, bicycles and cars. We are also monitoring those prison inmates who benefited from the Presidential amnesty and were released from Mutimurefu Prison and other correctional service centres throughout the country.”

He said his office had been furnished with information about all the pardoned inmates based in Masvingo province.

“We were given the figures, names and addresses of the released inmates, in case some may not have reformed during their incarceration and would continue committing crimes. We are putting them under surveillance,” he said without mentioning the figures.

Turning to the Easter holiday, Assistant Commissioner Dube said traffic police details had been deployed on major roads to enforce road traffic laws starting from Tuesday.

He urged road users, travellers and motorists to be responsible when travelling on the country’s roads.

Assistant Commissioner Dube said it was everyone’s duty to prevent crime and warned against those people who wanted to take advantage of the Easter holiday to commit crime.