CHRA engages CID on equipment theft

Zim Now Writer

The Combined Harare Residents Association (CHRA) has engaged the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on the 19 cases of equipment theft from Harare City Council health centres.

In a letter addressed to the CID, CHRA said the department should investigate on what transpired while municipal officers were on duty as public resources cannot disappear without accountability.

“As an association, we are worried that the theft of equipment has a potential to cripple maternal health provision and other health services in the health centres.

“Therefore, in view of your responsibility to detect, investigate and prevent crime as provided in Section 219(1)(a) of the Constitution, we kindly request for your urgent intervention to investigate on the theft cases for the purposes of accountability,” reads the letter.

CHRA said the prevalence of equipment theft has worsened and slowed down maternal health care services at health care facilities.

According to CHRA, the investigations must be done to bring the criminals to account and disciplinary action should be taken on the municipal officers who were on duty.

“The engagement is to further probe conduction of thorough investigations on the cases of theft of equipment in 19 health centres which happened between 2020 and 2022.

“As CHRA, we are convinced that there may be serious issues of graft and misconduct in the local authority, we call for the investigations that the stolen equipment can be compensated for in order to improve maternal health care service provision in Council clinics,” CHRA said.

Various equipment was reported stolen at several city council health facilities, including water tanks, borehole pumps, hospital beds, computers, printers, solar panels and televisions.