Niani neighbourhood-watch is crossing borders to curb crime

In an effort to combat serious crimes in their community, the residents of Niani and their counterparts from neighbouring Zimbabwe have come together to launch a forum.

The Cross-Border Neighbourhood Watch was officially launched at the NTK store in Nwanedi on Thursday, 12 September. Attendees included SAPS representatives from Muswodi, Makuya, Tshamutumbu, and Masisi, as well as many local farmers and businesspeople.

The forum was inaugurated by Lt-Col Thilivhali Lyborn Mulaudzi from the Vhembe SAPS area office, who substituted for the Vhembe SAPS area commissioner, Maj-Gen Eddie van der Walt.

Mr Philemon Munyai, one of the coordinators, explained that the idea for a cross-border neighbourhood watch arose from the ongoing cross-border crimes, particularly car hijackings, smuggling, and livestock theft to Zimbabwe.

“As businesspeople and farmers, we realised that we cannot single-handedly win the war against these crimes without engaging other stakeholders. Most crimes are cross-border, and we believe we can achieve more in intercepting criminals from both sides if we establish a strong working relationship. This is where our partnership with counterparts in Zimbabwe comes into play,” he said.

Munyai also mentioned that they would embark on crime-awareness campaigns and conduct joint operations with the police.

Date:22 September 2024

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019. He currently writes on a freelance basis, covering human rights issues, court news and entertainment.

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