Seven machete makers, who were arrested last week at Siyaso in Mbare, Harare, on suspicion of supplying machetes to armed robbers and criminals in mining communities, were on Saturday remanded in custody.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the suspects appeared in court.
Commissioner Nyathi urged members of the public with information on people supplying machetes and other criminal activities to inform their nearest police stations.
Meanwhile, police have recovered 31 machetes and arrested seven people suspected to be in the business of making and supplying them to gangs that are terrorising mining areas and towns.
This followed a raid at Siyaso in Mbare last week where the machetes were being manufactured and sold.
Siyaso is a home industry in Mbare where various implements are made for sale.
The arrests came after police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga spoke strongly against the current wave of machete attacks on citizens across Zimbabwe.
He was speaking in his welcome remarks during a tour of Gweru Central Police Station by Home Affairs and Cultural Heritage Minister Kazembe Kazembe.
“Over the past few weeks, cases of these criminal elements masquerading as gold panners have been on the increase.
” Consequently, we have recorded a surge in cases of murder, rape, armed robbery, among other illicit activities.
” Apart from terrorising communities, day and night, these hooligans are also invading legal mining claims killing many, including taking the lives of police officers. This is unacceptable. We can never allow criminals to do as they please while creating war zones,” Commissioner General Matanga said.
The ZRP boss also said the machete attackers’ days were “absolutely numbered.”
