POLICE in Matabeleland North province yesterday said they had completed a blitz, Operation Basadi (women), targeting fugitives, who abused women and children. Provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Siphiwe Makonese yesterday said they jointly carried out the operation with their counterparts from the South Africa Police Services (Saps).
BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
“We are working in partnership with the South African Police Service. There was a resolution passed by Sadc, where this operation was to be carried out targeting persons wanted for crimes against women and children.
“In Matabeleland North, currently we are consolidating, trying to find out what we achieved in all districts. We were also involved in carrying out awareness campaigns in terms of execution and sensitisation. We shall continue, even after the operation, to hunt for the offenders.
“The province had many unresolved cases of crimes of passion including, domestic violence, murder, human trafficking, child marriages, child and drug abuse, online sexual abuse, rape and other sexually related abuses like indecent assault and exposure and most offenders are on the run. We shall see after gathering all the information how many we managed to arrest or get a lead.”
In Victoria Falls, female police officers were moving door to door mainly at night searching for offenders, with assistance from a couple of males.
The operation, which ran between May 7 and 9, saw almost all Sadc countries joining hands in the fight against gender-related crimes.
