While others sectors of society are worried stiff about the negative impact of the coronavirus pandemic, Zimbabwean police officers are busy counting their luck – fugitives from justice are showing up on their doorsteps in numbers.
Scores of criminals who had skipped the borders into neighbouring countries such as Botswana and South Africa have been returning home in large numbers, making it easy for law enforcement agents to arrest them.
Police spokesperson Paul Nyathi said law enforcements agents has compiled names of criminals who had escaped to the region and other countries after committing crimes in Zimbabwe.
The country has so far received hundreds of residents who have returned from neighbouring countries, Asia, Europe and the United States.
He said the police have identified a number of wanted criminals among those who have been repatriated back home from other countries and that these fugitives from justice would be arrested as soon as they are released from the various centres where they are held under the mandatory 21-day quarantine for returning citizens.
In one of the cases, a taxi driver from Victoria Falls resort town was arrested last week soon after his release from the quarantine centre following his return from Botswana.
Prosper Dziwanyika fled to Botswana in February before he had completed community service following his conviction for malicious damage to property and theft.
He has since appeared before a Victoria Falls magistrate who reversed an earlier decision to commute a 12-month sentence into community service and restitution.
The fugitive was ordered to serve the entire 12 months in prison after absconding in February.
According to the police, Zimbabwe has more than 4,500 fugitives from justice, most of whom are hiding in neighbouring countries.
JN/APA