Marlborough Police have refuted a rumour that they are on the alert for a child abduction syndicate operating in Harare. A message circulating on Whatsapp and other social media said that the Marborough ZRP were warning residents to be on the lookout for a woman who was luring children away from their guardians to be abducted by her group.

A screenshot of the message doing the rounds on Whatsapp since last weekend.

An officer at the Marlborough ZRP told Harare News that “There is nothing like that. We are aware that the message is going around, but it is not true. We have not issued a warning.” She said that the station had received numerous phone calls in the past three days over the matter, and that they were looking into where the message came from.

Whilst parents and guardians should always be cautious and give children safety advice (see this article for a good approach), skepticism with regards to rumours will also help avoid living in fear.

Social media is a powerful information sharing tool, but is also holds huge potential for malicious misinformation and abuse. Harare News invites residents to send any serious notices or warnings that are of public importance to the editorial team for verification.

We invite the lady in the image or anyone who knows her to get in touch with further information as to why this malicious rumour began.

Whatsapp: 0776 729 326 with your notices or information.