Africa-Press – Zimbabwe. THE number of criminal cases has risen 3,5% to 321 640 in the second quarter of the year from the previous quarter, latest data show, with experts attributing the increase to a tough economic environment.
Statistics released yesterday by the Zimbabwe Statistics Agency (ZimStats) show that Bulawayo province had the highest number of criminal cases reported in the period April to June.
ZimStats said the statistics were compiled using data collected from the Zimbabwe Republic Police Crime Report and Disposal System.
In the third quarter of 2024, a total of 205 925 criminal cases were reported rising to 232 593 cases in the fourth quarter.
The upward trend continued into 2025, with 310 876 cases recorded in the first quarter and 321 640 in the second quarter, marking a 3,5% increase from the previous quarter.
The national crime rate has also risen, reaching 2 119 crimes per 100 000 people in the second quarter of 2025, up from 2 048 per 100 000 in the first quarter.
Theft is the major type of crime that is recorded, contributing to the surge in criminal activities.
However, traffic offences also constitute a significant number of cases, with a total of 191 997 non-injurious traffic violations recorded in the second quarter.
Bulawayo and Harare provinces recorded the highest crime rates, with 5 464 and 3 501 cases reported, respectively.
Masvingo and Matabeleland South also have high crime rates.
Provinces such as Matabeleland North, Mashonaland West and Mashonaland East recorded comparatively lower crime rates, according to ZimStat.
In the report, ZimStat director-general Tafadzwa Bandama said the country had experienced more incidents of crime that include theft, robbery, sexual offences, drug-related crimes and murder.
“Such vices leave society entangled with emotional, psychological and physical damage. In addition, acts of crime may result in tensions within families, financial losses, expenditure on private security measures, mental disorders and loss of life,” she said.
Bandama said the government was spending resources on law enforcement and criminal justice at the expense of social service delivery.
“To this end, the production of crime statistics plays a vital role in shaping policies and planning within the criminal justice system,” she said.
“Crime statistics reveal trends in criminal activities, enabling policymakers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to develop evidence-based strategic interventions to curb the rise in crime rates.”
Social commentator Rejoice Ngwenya attributed the surge in the crime rate to economic instability.
“The high cost of living, loss of employment, retrenchment, the availability of firearms and so forth, means that citizens have nothing to do other than steal from each other.
“The increase in rates of unemployment and poor standards of living is pushing citizens, who are being retrenched, into crime. It has nothing to do with Zimbabweans being criminals. It’s about convenience and necessity,” he said.
Ngwenya criticised the law enforcement’s approach in dealing with crime.
“Our law enforcement officers are more adept at dealing with traffic crimes and political management rather than investigating serious crimes,” he said.
“They are not equipped to handle forensic investigations, which is why we see a rise in unresolved cases.”
Ngwenya cited the surge in drug use among young people as the major driver of crime.
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