MORAL WAR: THE FIGHT TO SAVE EPWORTH FROM CRIME
By Kudzai Jakachira
HARARE-Epworth,faced with an unprecedented surge in nocturnal violence, narcotics trafficking, and systemic social erosion, the Epworth Local Board has launched a robust, community-centric offensive to reclaim the streets from a criminal element that has become increasingly emboldened.
The administrative body is pivoting toward a “total surveillance” model, mobilizing ward councillors and residents to act as the primary intelligence-gathering apparatus for the Zimbabwe Republic Police.
This strategic shift comes as the high-density suburb grapples with a paradoxical rise in crime that persists despite significant infrastructural and economic investment in the area.
The local authority has noted with profound concern that the tranquility of the night has been hijacked by opportunistic syndicates. These perpetrators reportedly utilize clandestine drug dens and brothels as “war rooms” to orchestrate robberies. Their primary targets are the lifeblood of the local economy: informal traders returning from Mbare with inventory, and laborers returning home under the shroud of darkness.
Town Secretary Dr. Wilton Mhanda, the architect of the current intervention, expressed a sense of exasperated urgency regarding the deteriorating security situation.
”The Epworth Local Board has established numerous empowerment centers through strategic donor partnerships and private sector synergy. While these initiatives have liberated many from the shackles of poverty, it is a staggering irony that criminal activities—specifically violent night robberies—are reaching a crescendo,” Dr. Mhanda remarked.
The Intelligence-Led Counter-Offensive
The Board’s new directive empowers ward councillors to establish sophisticated communication networks within their constituencies. Residents are being exhorted to monitor and report individuals whose “lavish spending” at shopping centers and drug hotspots stands in stark contrast to their unemployed status.
This community-led profiling is intended to furnish law enforcement with actionable leads to dismantle the syndicates from within.
The most baffling aspect for the Local Board remains the rejection of legitimate economic pathways by a segment of the youth.
Epworth currently boasts a state-of-the-art Resource Center, a philanthropic gift from the Swedish Government.
The facility is a marvel of modern vocational training, equipped with high-precision machinery for:
Trimming, designing, and manufacturing high-end furniture.
Metallurgy: Smelting, molding, and steel fabrication.
Construction Manufacturing: Production of specialty bricks, artificial tiles, and quarry stone.
Despite these facilities offering free training and a direct pipeline to the burgeoning local construction industry, many continue to opt for the “shadow economy” of theft and substance abuse.
The social blight extends to the suburb’s young female population.
The Women’s Center, bolstered by women’s empowerment organizations, offers and q1 affordable modules in garment construction, beadwork, and chemical manufacturing (detergents).
Yet, a troubling number of young girls are gravitating toward the sex trade and narcotics.
Dr. Mhanda emphasized that the Board is no longer merely an administrative entity but a moral vanguard.
“We have a highly successful Women’s Center facilitating the manufacturing of retail-ready goods, yet we see young lives being surrendered to prostitution.
” This is a tragic regression that demands a tireless, unified response from every community leader.”
As Epworth stands at this crossroads, the Local Board’s message is clear: the era of passive observation is over.
Through the integration of citizen vigilance and economic opportunity, the authority seeks to transform Epworth from a sanctuary for criminals into a bastion of industry and safety.
