Zimbabwe recorded 221,704 criminal cases between January and March 2024, according to the latest figures from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat). This marks a slight increase in the national crime rate, which now stands at 1,460.6 per 100,000 people, up from 1,459.9 in the previous quarter.
ZimStat publishes statistics on crime levels and trends in Zimbabwe, based on police-recorded data collected monthly. These figures exclude crimes not reported to the police.
The first quarter crime statistics report revealed 266 cases of intentional homicide, reflecting a rate of 1.8 offenses per 100,000 people. The overall number of recorded offenses rose by 108 cases compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.
The crime rate for offenses against public order and state security was 578.7 per 100,000 people, a decline from 587.9 in the previous quarter. However, the assault and threat category had the highest number of cases, at 194.7 per 100,000 people.
ZimStat also highlighted that vulnerability to crime was above the national average in Harare, Bulawayo, and the Midlands provinces. Harare’s crime rate nearly doubled the national average, standing at 2,877.5 per 100,000 people.
Of the 221,704 cases recorded in the first quarter, crimes against public safety and state security were the most common, with 87,834 cases. The second most common type of crime involved acts against property, with 53,975 cases. Crimes leading to or intended to cause harm to individuals totaled 41,143 cases.
The total number of persons charged by the police for all offenses was 164,461, of which 88% were male. The rate for charged persons increased to 1,083.5 per 100,000 people from 1,068.7 in the previous quarter. For males, the rate was 1,975.9 per 100,000, while for females it was 259 per 100,000.
ZimStat reported 38,042 cases of theft in the first quarter, indicating a rate of 250.6 per 100,000 people. There were also 2,177 cases of unlawful acts involving controlled drugs or precursors, with a rate of 14.3 per 100,000 people. Additionally, 3,455 cases of fraud and 83 cases of corruption were recorded, with crime rates of 22.8 and 0.5 per 100,000 people, respectively.
Prosecutor-General Justice Loyce-Matanda Moyo recently disclosed that Zimbabwe lost about $9 billion to corruption over the past five years, recovering only $100 million of the looted funds.
Source: Newsday
