BULAWAYO residents have expressed concern over an increase in the number of violent cases involving mentally-disturbed persons who snatch food from people in the central business district (CBD).
Residents complained that some of the mentally-challenged people are in the habit of using obscene language while others throw stones at passersby.
Speaking to Southern Eye, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association secretary for administration, Thabani Ndlovu, said the public and police should work together in apprehending mentally-challenged people and take them to Ingutsheni Hospital for treatment.
"Residents are no longer safe, we now fear for ourselves thinking of what is going to happen as they are now disturbing our peace,” Ndlovu said.
Beauty Sharaunga, a Bulawayo resident, said there must be order in the CBD so that businesses run smoothly.
“It is no longer safe in town, I was driving along Robert Mugabe Way and there was this mentally-disturbed man who was pushing a shopping trolley going in the opposite direction of oncoming cars, shouting vulgar words, waving a metal stick and threatening to damage windscreens of passing cars,” she said.
Another resident, Bongani Dube, said carrying food items in the CBD was no longer safe as mentally-disturbed people snatch them and flee.
“I was walking near Bulawayo Centre and there was a woman in front of me who was walking with her daughter eating French fries, from nowhere a mentally-disturbed person snatched them. When she wanted to fight back, the man slapped her and no one was there to help,” Dube said.
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Ingutsheni Hospital chief executive officer Menache Mawere said anyone could take a mentally-disturbed person to hospital.
“The public is not aware that anyone can bring in the mentally-disturbed person as long as you are above the age of 18 because the law says so,” Mawere said, adding that there were several things that cause mental illness which include anxiety disorder.
“The list is endless but some of the mentally-disturbed people run away from home and no relative goes out to look for them.”
