Matabeleland South Province recorded an 18 percent increase in homicide cases between January and December last year compared to the same period in the year 2011. Officer commanding the province, Assistant Commissioner Munyaradzi Musariri said homicide cases and stock theft were the main crimes of concern.

He was speaking while relaunching the Police Service Charter at Lutumba Business Centre recently. Asst Comm Musariri said Beitbridge had the highest prevalence rate of homicide cases in 2012.

He said police had recorded 52 homicide cases in the period under review. This was in comparison to 44 cases in 2011. "We are concerned about crimes such as stock theft, theft, unlawful entry, rape, robbery, assaults and murder," said Asst Comm Musariri.

However, as a province our main worry is the increase in cases of murder especially in Beitbridge district in the year 2012, where a number of lives were lost unnecessarily."

Asst Comm Musariri said the police had, however, accounted for most of the criminals.