Zimbabwe police face accommodation crisis

Zimbabwe's police force is grappling with a growing accommodation crisis, with hundreds of officers and their families reportedly living in overcrowded, single-room quarters at stations and camps across the country. In many instances, officers have converted canteens, bars, and storage rooms into makeshift homes to avoid renting outside the camps, citing unaffordable salaries.

A leaked internal memorandum revealed that the police board of trustees expressed concern over the widespread misuse of mess facilities, which were originally intended to temporarily house recruits, transferred officers, and personnel on short-term assignments. Instead, many officers have turned these spaces into permanent residences, sharing makeshift "apartments" created by partitioning dysfunctional canteens and bars with curtains or cardboard. Families are reportedly crammed into these improvised living spaces under undignified conditions.

A NewsDay survey at one police station highlighted the poor state of ablution facilities, with leaking pipes, cracked floors, and toilets and showers that barely function. Many residents have been forced to rely on buckets due to lack of running water, raising serious hygiene concerns.

In response to the situation, the police board has introduced a US$100 monthly fee for officers residing permanently in mess facilities, effective December 1, 2025. Officers are also charged for three meals per day, regardless of whether they eat, unless they notify the caterer in advance. The directive aims to decongest mess facilities and ensure proper usage.

National police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that mess facilities were intended for temporary accommodation only and stressed that they were never meant for family housing. "Police messes do not have permanent residents. It's temporary for transferred members or those doing special duties, while modalities for them to get permanent residence are being sorted out," he said. Nyathi added that upkeep fees have always been required, but the new charges are a formalisation of the policy.

Some officers, however, view the fees as punitive. One officer, earning US$260 a month, said, "The US$100 monthly mess fee, plus the daily food subscription, will consume nearly all my salary. That leaves me with nothing for other expenses for the upkeep of my family. It feels like we are being evicted indirectly."

The accommodation crisis underscores long-standing challenges within Zimbabwe's police force, including insufficient housing provisions and low salaries, leaving many officers struggling to provide suitable living conditions for their families.