Church bemoans rising crime levels

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 11:00:58 +0000

The Churches Council of Zambia (CCZ) has bemoaned the high levels of crime that have rocked the country in the past few months.

CCZ Secretary General Reverend Suzanne Matale said the church was concerned over the continuity spate of violence that has seen many innocent people killed or brutally beaten.

She said it would be helpful for the church to intervene through prayers and appealed to the police to spread their patrols to outlying areas.

Reverend Matale said criminals were taking the advantage of  the lack of security patrols by police officers who she said required assistance from the public to curb the scourge.

“The church needs to intervene in such situations because the criminalshave taken advantage of the powerless police officers who operate with few resources” she said.

She has however urged communities to be vigilant in whatever they were doing in order to safeguard their lives.

Reverend Matale has also appealed to members of public to report all cases of illicit activities to the police to enhance security in their communities.

She said the high number of cases of gender based violence in the country called for concerted efforts by the church, government, civil society and the public to fight the scourge, adding that government must take a lead in ensuring that security for its citizens was guaranteed.