POLICE yesterday said six more murder cases were recorded countrywide this week in separate incidents, as the force continues to urge people to resolve disputes amicably.
Last week, nine murder cases were recorded countrywide, bringing the total number of people that have been killed in separate incidents in the past 10 days to 18.
Chief police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba yesterday said the police envisage an environment where there are no murder cases in the country.
“The six murder cases were reported in Bulawayo, Manicaland, Matabeleland South, Mashonaland Central, Midlands and Matabeleland North provinces. These provinces recorded one case each.
“Most of the cases involved minor issues that could have been solved or avoided. Drunkenness also contributed to some of the cases,” she said.
In one of the incidents, a Kwekwe man was beaten to death by another man after being accused of stealing bananas at PG Complex. Snr Asst Comm Charamba said a supervisor at a bar in Bulawayo died after being stoned following a misunderstanding with a drunken man.
In Manicaland, a mentally ill man struck and killed his wife with a machete after accusing her of being a witch while in Kezi, a man was killed by his stepson following a misunderstanding over the guarding a field.
“In Chiweshe, Mashonaland Central province, a man believed to have been drunk killed his mother-in-law after she intervened when he was beating up his wife,” Snr Asst Comm Charamba said.
She said the man had come home late and drunk when he demanded money from his wife, resulting in a misunderstanding.
Police last week expressed concern over the increase in armed robbery and murder cases countrywide. Some of the cases recorded were as a result of domestic disputes, beer drinking, drug abuse and other social or related matters while others involved mentally ill persons.
Meanwhile, a 32-year-old Harare man lost a laptop, hard drive, power bank, gold watch, spectacles and a wallet containing $15 to four armed robbers that had offered him a lift to the city centre.
The robbers were travelling in a white Honda Fit without registration number plates when the incident occurred at around 6.30am.
The victim was assaulted and stabbed on the thigh with a knife before being dumped.
Snr Asst Comm Charamba urged the people to desist from boarding private or unregistered vehicles.
She said anyone with information that might lead to the arrest of criminals should contact any nearest police station or the National Complaints Desk on (04) 703631.