Africa-Press – Tanzania. STATE Minister in the Second Vice-President’s Office (Policy, Coordination and House of Representatives), Dr Khalid Salum Mohamed, said the government will carry out frequent operations in Zanzibar city to remove street beggars.
Dr Khalid directed municipal and town councils to stand firm against street beggars.
“Although there is no law which directly prohibits begging in the streets, penal Act No 6 of 2018 is being used to back prohibition of street begging. Those arrested on streets are returned to their original homes in villages or upcountry,” Dr Mohamed said, noting that those who resist risk being prosecuted under the law.
The minister was responding to concerns raised by legislator Mr Machano Othman Said during a question and answer session in the House yesterday, as he sought to know of efforts being taken to control the increasing number of street beggars.
He said that despite the government’s efforts to abolish street begging, the practice remained a challenge in the city and other towns in the Indian Ocean semi-autonomous archipelagos.
Beggars walk shop after shop on the sides of main roads, at traffic lights and camp outside worshipping buildings and commercial buildings begging for money.
For his side, Mr Hassan Khamis Hafidh (CCM-Welezo) raised concern over increasing criminal acts, saying incidents of thieves grubbing mobile phones using knives or machetes were on the rise.
In response, the minister encouraged community-policing to boost the ongoing security patrols, “Security requires public support to control criminals.
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