'Thievocracy' thriving in rural areas.

Wanton thieving, villages are under siege. It's so bad that no one trusts anyone anymore. The 'gold fingers', call them thieves, are striking almost every week. The treasure hunters move nocturnally like the biblical Nicodimus except for a different cause that is uncouth and unsavory.

Even kitchen huts have become hunting ground, unlawfully breaking in to pick anything, I mean anything. From cutlery,  plates, pots etc, sometines helping themselves to leftovers and family tuck. Chickens, goats, wheelbarrows have all been targeted. Everybody is now suspecting everyone, from teetotallers to imbibers of the fire waters.

Vices seem to be 'cheerleading' them on, to keep on causing sleepless nights to the innocent public who should be resting peacefully by night.

A sentinel should keep watch at homesteads by day, by night things fall apart. Just last week a village head lost three chickens, somewhere in the environs a barber lost all his equipment after a break-in. Where are the law enforcement agents?

What happened those mounted and foot patrols of yesteryears? Police visibility must be often for that much-needed deterrence.

The youths must be encouraged to join the ZRP neighborhood watch committees and assist with maintaining law and order. Otherwise, authorities should consider some kind of curfews to curb the scourge. Last farming season tobacco farmers were not spared, losing thousands worth of the golden leaf.

Incentivising whistle-blowers is another way to tame the situation, even some thieves would 'turn coats' to turn-in their colleagues in crime.

Where 'V-elevens' are available, a khaki envelope would do the trick. If left unchecked, thieving will become the new pandemic soon.

Murisa. Chiweshe. Mash Central.