A six-year-old Beitbridge youth on Monday picked up a firearm on the outskirts of Dulivhadzimo's
Mfelandawonye area west of the town.
The officer commanding Beitbridge Police District Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo confirmed
the incident and said this suggested there could be many firearms in wrong hands.
It was reported the gun was picked up by a six-year-old toddler who started playing with it. Luckily
the gun's magazine was empty," he said.
(This is) a sign there could be many guns in many wrong hands in Beitbridge, he said.
There have been a number of armed robberies in Beitbridge and although police have arrested some
of the perpetrators, a number are outstanding. Most slip into nearby South Africa through unofficial
points, or even buy their way out.
Meanwhile Beitbridge Police have descended into the Beitbridge upgraded border post to flush out
touts and by Monday 144 suspects had been sent to court.
As of last Monday we had a total of 144 sent to court. I do not have figures for those who paid
fines at the station but they are more than 1000 given that daily arrests range above 20 people,
said Nyongo.
He said figures include vendors caught inside the order which falls under the protected areas.
President Emerson Mnangagwa recently instructed securities at the border to rid the US$300 million
facility of touts and bogus agents who prey on unsuspecting travellers some of whom have lost huge
amounts in border transactions.
Investigations have however revealed some touts known as Magumaguma comprise off-duty
policemen.
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