HARARE
–
Police
rounded
up
22
children
who
were
begging
on
Harare’s
streets
and
handed
them
over
to
the
department
of
social
welfare.
Police
carried
out
an
operation
in
response
to
a
viral
social
media
post
which
showed
children
begging
for
money
outside
Joina
City
mall
in
Harare.
In
a
statement
on
Friday,
police
said
they
had
also
removed
from
the
streets
guardians
who
were
in
some
instances
using
the
children
to
solicit
donations
on
their
behalf,
some
of
them
disabled.
National
police
spokesman
Commissioner
Paul
Nyathi
said:
“On
August
23,
police
in
Harare
in
conjunction
with
the
department
of
social
welfare
carried
out
an
operation
in
the
streets
of
Harare
removing
children
and
their
guardians
who
were
begging
for
food
in
Harare
CBD.”
The
operation
targeted
mainly
Ruzende
Street,
Joina
City
and
Town
House
areas.
Nyathi
added:
“As
a
result,
22
children
and
their
guardians
were
handed
over
to
the
department
of
social
welfare.
“Guardians
are
implored
not
to
use
children
and
the
disabled
to
beg
for
money
and
food
in
the
streets
as
they
risk
arrest
for
violating
the
country’s
laws
protecting
children.”
Growing
poverty
across
Zimbabwe
and
lack
of
central
government
support
for
the
disabled
has
fuelled
street
begging
and
homelessness.