Bulawayo crime report and advice

01/11/13 – 15/12/13

“It’s not the violence of a few; it’s the silence of the many.”

Anonymous

Here’s wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Remember put Christ back into Christmas and things can change for the better, after all, it is His Birthday we are celebrating!

MORALS AND PRINCIPLES

I want to stress that people must keep to their morals and principles – almost everyone was brought up with good morals and people know when it is wrong to defy the law of their home, school, church or country.  Theft is a huge crime and to take something from someone without working for it themselves or asking to borrow the item, is outright stealing. Not so long ago when children were in school, no-one thought of stealing anything from someone else, nowadays, it is common and how the children actually steal and lie about it, is mind blowing!  But then again, have you looked at what all the teenage movies and series are about on TV, everyone of them is to lie and deceive their friends and family, talk atrociously to parents (who laugh in the movies) – what morals are they giving the children and teens of today?  It is encouraging, to find some parents in Bulawayo, who want their teenagers to grow up in a good home environment and they go to the lengths of making entertainment rooms for their teens to invite others around to play pool, games, listen to good music and encourage them to stay away from nonsense. 

Just at the fireworks display at Trade Fair was shocking to say the least as to how people drove around worse than they usually do (which means they don’t stick to correct driving rules of the road), teenage girls hanging out of cars whilst their young male driver’s raced down the street at a rate of knots, doing wheelies in the middle of the road, people just stopping in the middle of the road to do U-turns, this function like many in Bulawayo will turn out with disastrous effects on families in the future if things are not controlled properly.

The litter that was left behind after the event was shocking.  Where does one have the right dropping your litter and stating people are employed to pick it up, how about showing that you were brought up and not dragged up, and put the rubbish into a bin or take it home to place in your own bin – we are lucky in Bulawayo, we still get our rubbish collected by the council, so there is no need to have the rubbish thrown on the streets – goodness we pay a minimal charge for collection on our rates bills.

CONTINUAL HORRENDOUS DRIVING

When are people going to take heed to my advice about their driving?  It can only start with you – do not wait until someone else does it or fines become exorbitant!  I have seen some of the people who receive my updates driving appallingly.  When the rains come, the driving is even worse – why?  Because the idiots that are behind wheels these days (I know I am not mincing my words here), still race down the roads at 100 Kms/hr and think they can still do the following:

·        Braking distance, what is that(?), they will just apply brakes as and when they feel it is necessary (usually too late and rear-end vehicles, sometimes pushing the car into traffic that the vehicle was giving way to, thereby causing a serious accident that was unnecessary in the beginning).  By the way braking distances are longer during the rain than in the dry season in case you have forgotten your highway code, which it certainly looks like!  If ever in doubt, re-read your highway code, to keep your mind fresh at all times.

·        The U-turns and continuing of pirate taxis and normal taxis stopping when they feel like it has not been controlled at all.  The newspapers said that the police were going to start clamping down on pirate taxis and named the bigger cars as the problem, well actually it includes the smaller cars, like Toyota Vitz and Honda Fits (whichever way around) that are carrying the passengers and breaking the road rules.  A number of these small vehicles are owned by the very people who are supposed to enforce the law, so please enforce it with your drivers!

·        The latest problem I have seen in not so busy Bulawayo is how people cross intersections!  From a small road onto a main road drivers inch their cars onto the main road with sometimes blocking two right hand lanes, in order to turn into the left hand ones.  We are not in Harare or Johannesburg, there will be a break in the traffic in order for you to cross safely.  How more serious accidents have not happened this way is amazing?  Stop being Road Hogs and wait for the road to be clear!  If you are in a rush because of dropping off children at school, get up earlier!! 

·        My biggest concern is driving after dark – have you seen how many people travel at night between towns, cities and border posts – we do not have the roads to handle this capacity – we need dual carriage ways for people to travel along in a safe manner.  I had to wait for someone a couple of years ago coming from Beit Bridge, he phoned to say he was going to be in Bulawayo at about 3 am, so I waited until 6 am when he finally arrived, but the traffic that I saw just between that time was amazing.  I didn’t think we had so many travellers in this country and it has increased dramatically since then.

·        The traffic is also heavy during the day, so really it is a constant flow, but the animals have posed a problem for many years, and it just takes a cow or donkey to walk out in front of you to cause a fatal accident, or a kudu which you think is safe on the other side of the road, to jump and smash your windscreen.  How many more fatalities are going to take place before someone ensures that fences are placed up and not stolen and when they are stolen, the culprits in that area must be punished!  Unfortunately, this is also a mindset that has to be changed and taught!

My condolences go to all the families who have lost loved ones in road accidents.  I pray that something will be done soon to ensure safe driving in Zimbabwe.

LABOUR ISSUES

Usually from October to December people see a number of problems arising with labour issues whether it is from their own domestics or employees.  Please ensure you have your labour rule book to know what the correct procedure is.  If not, I can put you onto someone from Harare who issues labour related rules and regulations or contact your local labour office, they will assist with all your questions.

CRIMINALS POSING AS….

There are a number of criminals posing as labour officers, Tax officers etc.  Please always contact the centres before giving out any information to ensure that these people are legitimate.

This came out recently and forwarded to me via ABUZ please take note

PUBLIC NOTICE

BEWARE OF BOGUS ‘TAX OFFICERS’

The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) wishes to advise its valued clients that there are bogus ‘tax officers’ going around businesses asking them about their tax issues under the pretext that they are carrying out ZIMRA audits.

We understand that they are going around with letters of introduction alleged to be from the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority. The letters are allegedly signed by C.T. Shumba, C. Mayo, C.T. Chigwanda and B. Nyika.

We urge you to confirm with ZIMRA Managers or Supervisors from your nearest ZIMRA Office before serving any officials claiming to be coming from ZIMRA. You can visit the ZIMRA website (www.zimra.co.zw) for contact details of ZIMRA offices throughout the country.

When carrying out audit duties and on visiting clients’ premises, ZIMRA officers work in teams of at least two officers and they should be displaying name tags showing the first name and the surname of each officer, plus ZIMRA identity cards. The ZIMRA identity card contains the following features:

 Zimbabwean flag

 ZIMRA logo (showing ZIMRA’s Core Values: Integrity, Transparency and Fairness)

 The officer’s licence-size photograph and an SAP number on its right

 Surname and first name of the officer

 Officer’s national identification number

 Officer’s employment number (EC number), expiry date of identity card and signature of officer

 ZIMRA motto: ‘I am here to serve...’

If you are in doubt about the authenticity of the officers or their identification cards, please call our toll-free hotline numbers as follows: 0800 4174 or 0800 4185.

Please Note: If you are supposed to pay any taxes, do not pay in cash to any ZIMRA official, or to anyone purporting to be from ZIMRA. All tax payments should be made through the various banks with which ZIMRA has opened Commissioner General’s accounts for revenue deposits.

AFTER A TRAUMA HAS OCCURRED – DO NOT BE A VICTIM BUT A VICTOR!

Always seek some sort of counseling.  Better to share the experience with someone who cares, than continue to load it onto others who eventually feel they cannot deal with it anymore themselves.  I listened to this the other day and was strengthened myself.

1.    Physical Resilience – DO NOT sit around after the trauma – move around, visit friends, take walks and do exercise.  This helps your mind as well which helps to move onto No. 2.

2.    Mental Resilience – More mental power, more will power, more discipline and more determination becomes part of you.

Think of the Obstacles you overcame during the trauma (one thing, you are alive! And you dealt with it correctly in that particular situation, don’t let others say “you should have done this or that”, they weren’t there) and believe me, there will be more obstacles after a trauma to deal with.

3.  Emotional Resilience – the ratio should be 3:1 i.e. 3 x positive to 1 x negative.  You have a choice over yourself as to how you should be.

4. Social Resilience – strength comes from friends, family, community = gratitude towards these groups, which makes the memories of the difficulty you suffered less likely to have bad memories.

5.  Forgiveness – hard as it seems, it actually has been stated it adds 10 years onto your life, when you forgive.  Forgive and forget.  So much easier to say, but try it, it does help.

RESIDENCY PERMITS

If you are one of those people who have other passports instead of a Zimbabwe one, please ensure you visit your local immigration centre every year to have your residency stamp placed into it if you are a resident of Zimbabwe.  One woman let hers slip by a few months and instead of a fine of US$ 200 she was arrested and put inside a maximum prison for 4 days as a criminal.  How terrifying that was for this young woman and totally unnecessary! 

COUNSELLING AVAILABLE

There are still a number of people getting beaten up in home robberies or whilst walking on the roads, children getting traumatized from the break-in or violent attack.  Remember children suffer just as adults, and victims need to talk it out.  So if you are a concerned parent, please organize for the child to see me or someone who will listen.  Please do not hesitate to contact me for counseling or a shoulder to cry on.

Crime Awareness is into its 11^th year of operation in Bulawayo and I am into my 14^th year since being involved with the Anti Hijack Trust in Harare.  Years of experience and I have managed to guide a number of people around Zimbabwe into operating business-like affairs in conjunction with Neighbourhood Watch etc.

I do not charge for counseling victims – they are survivors in my eyes – so naturally I still need a great deal of donations and support from the communities that I hold dear to my heart.

CHRISTMAS WISH LIST

If any company or individual wants to donate something towards Crime Awareness Bulawayo, please do not hesitate to contact me. 

Please assist where possible

·        URGENTLY REQUIRED – New Hard Drive Tower – mine is just too old and taking a long time to do any work and viruses are attacking it!!!

·        Stationery – new printer cartridges for Canon 512 and 513, and any other stationery

·        Payment towards ADSL

·        Fuel is always needed

THANK YOU to REGULAR SPONSORS

I have the following companies and individuals to thank for donations and services that they provide: 

Autoworx

Comp-IT

Compu Pro

Dunlop Zimbabwe

Fawcett Security

Femina Garments

The Hayley’s

Heritage Insurance

Iway Africa (Mweb)

J Mann and Co

The Keagan’s

Mine Machines

The Mills’

The Munroe’s

Safari Insurance Brokers

Suburbs N/H Watch

Trentyre Bulawayo

Toyota Bulawayo

Whitehead

ZB Re-Insurance Co. Harare and Bulawayo

All the people who give me words of encouragement and support, THANK YOU.

CONTACTS FOR THE FOLLOWING

I have contacts for the following:

·        Latest Alarms and installations

·        Various Lighting Advice and imported LED lighting – note South Africa is banning all incandescent lighting as from 2016 – replace your lights now with LED’s. 

·        Flood Lights in 10W, 20W and 50W is available, plus flood lights that change colours, all done with remotes to set up in gardens etc.  Lowers all electricity costs considerably.

HOT LINES

Crime Awareness Tracey Conway-Burns BULAWAYO direct:  0712-701 323

EMRAS  (Emergency Ambulance Services) in Bulawayo: 09-62611

POLICE

24 Hour Instant Hijack Reaction Team in Bulawayo: 09-885479 (Stops Camp)

CID Central Police Station Bulawayo: 09-75168 (Wk Hours)

CID Central Police Station Bulawayo: 09-66306 (24 Hours)

They are fully armed.  Call them if you have been hijacked as soon as physically possible.

24 hour National Complaints Line (04) 703 631

Childline Bulawayo (child abuse, rape etc)  :09-888891 or (toll free) 882761

The Haven Trust (a transitional home for abused women and their children) 09-242071

                          Fax No:  09-286151 Mobile Nos:  0712-231 309 / 0775-174 443

Musasa Project Bulawayo (abused wives and families, rape):09-880112 or 09-882888

24 Hour Clinic - Margaran House S. Pairienyatwa between 9th and 8th Avenues.

Dr C Sururu or other doctors are on duty every day and night

Tel:  (09) 60952

Cell: 0712 - 881 439

Know your police station numbers for your area.

GUEST SPEAKER

Please contact me for any talks for schools, companies, groups or questions on individual security, etc on crime@mweb.co.zw or cell phone no: 0712-701 323, for your bookings or questions so that I can place it in my diary.

POSTAL ADDRESS:

P O Box 9161

Hillside

Bulawayo

Please note that anyone who wants to quote in writing any information that I have stated in my updates for the past 14 years, to please verify with me that I will allow you to use it, in case it is a sensitive issue where just a word out of place can result in upsetting individuals and to acknowledge use by placing it under Crime Awareness Bulawayo including any other quotes I have used, to mention them – state it all correctly.

Tracey Conway-Burns – UNQUOTE