Banks failing Zimbabweans

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi has accused Zimbabwean banks of failing the nation by not attracting depositors who are now opting to keep their money at home and business premises.

Police have warned Bulawayo residents and businesses against keeping huge amounts of cash at home or business premises saying this has resulted in an upsurge in cases of armed robberies in the city.

National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi has accused Zimbabwean banks of failing the nation by not attracting depositors who are now opting to keep their money at home and business premises.

The practice has resulted in a marked surge in robberies which are giving the police sleepless nights.

Speaking during an interface between the police and the media which was organised by the Media Institute for Southern Africa Zimbabwe (Misa) at Ross Camp in Bulawayo on Friday last week, Nyathi urged the media to challenge the banks on the matter.

"We have the issue of robbery cases which we are also fighting and we have said time and again the media needs to challenge our financial institutions. Why are we saying the media needs to challenge the financial institutions? We continue to have this perennial problem where people are not banking their money," Nyathi said.

"Everyday or every week, we have robbery cases where companies are being targeted, where families are being targeted because they are keeping money at home, they are keeping money at offices.

"The issue of leaked information is giving us challenges. Information is leaking from the employees' side and from the security companies involved in cash in transit."

Nyathi added that it was important to establish how financial institutions could tap into this money which is not being deposited.

"Can they not offer something attractive in the process? They also assist in the law and order maintenance in the country because they will also assist us in curbing some of these armed robbery cases in the country," he said.

Of late, the police have been facing challenges of robbers targeting food outlets and supermarkets.

"We can confirm that we have arrested two suspects whom we will give out their names and we have recovered the getaway car which they were using in Bulawayo. We were not able to do it alone, but we managed to do it because of the support of the media," Nyathi said.

He also expressed concern over rampant reckless driving by some motorists who do not bother to stop at traffic lights.

Cases of rape of children on their way from school and drug and substance abuse were also becoming a serious security threat in the country, the police spokesperson added.