Citizens should assume responsibility for resources

Zimbabwe is endowed with an abundance of vast natural resources notably diamonds, gold and platinum to mention a few.

These minerals and other resources have the potential to take care of Zimbabwe's citizens and propel the country to greater heights if harnessed and explored properly.

It therefore becomes sensible and beneficial for the citizens of Zimbabwe to safeguard these resources and be vigilant in protecting them.

Recent reports of a helicopter that crashed in Gwanda and went undetected for over two weeks are worrying. What is even more alarming is that the helicopter is suspected to have been used for smuggling of gold and/or ivory, thereby prejudicing the country of thousands of dollars.

That the people resident there saw the helicopter flying in and out of the area frequently and kept quiet -even when the helicopter crashed and the wreckage was buried - shows a high level of detachment on the part of the locals.

Villagers who live near the farm told the press that they were used to seeing the helicopter flying around the area, but had been told it was being used to "chase away elephants" and they believed there was "something sinister."

Someone should have expressed concern and notified the relevant authorities way before the crash.
We should not leave it to the security personnel alone to investigate suspicious activity that is going on right beneath our noses; after all, it's the immediate community that suffers from the pilfering of resources.

With facilities such as hotlines and police bases dotted around the country, sometimes all it takes is an anonymous tip-off to save the country huge amounts of money in resources and bring culprits to book.
Sadly, it is a fact that the Gwanda crash is only a small tip of the iceberg and there are a lot of other illegal activities being perpetrated in the country with the full knowledge of the citizens.

Reports are abound of clothing bales being smuggled into the country through Manicaland , gold being smuggled out through the Matabeleland region , cigarettes and ivory being smuggled out; the list is endless.

If the truth be told, I am sure the ordinary citizens are very much aware of the smuggling routes, means and methods that are being used to spirit away the country's resources.

 The question is how long will we keep quiet as Zimbabwe is stolen piece by piece?

While it may seem inconsequential to report a single case of smuggling that you are aware of, if all these small incidents are put together what emerges is the bulk of the country's wealth being stolen as we watch.

What do we bequeath to the coming generations? An empty shell of a country?

The Gwanda incident should be a wake-up call not only to the ordinary people of Zimbabwe, but also to the country's security sector.

If outsiders can so frequently come into the country and pull off crimes with such impunity, there is urgent need to tighten and revamp security as someone somewhere is sleeping on duty.