Calls for increased police patrols at Harare intersections

Residents of Harare are urging the Zimbabwe Republic Police to increase patrols and deploy officers in areas that have become robbery hotspots, particularly along Highglen Road. Drivers say criminals are exploiting traffic-calming humps and potholes, emerging from nearby maize fields and dark alleys to target unsuspecting motorists. Victims report that robbers strike when vehicles slow down, smashing windows, grabbing valuables, and disappearing within seconds.

One motorist recounted, "We were with my friend, and when he slowed down, a man came out from the bushes and smashed my phone and ran away. It happened so fast that we did not even see where he went." Others have said the threat is so severe that they avoid the route entirely, even during emergencies. "I once had a medical emergency and needed to go to hospital, but because I had previously been robbed here, I had to take a longer route," one driver said.

Pedestrians also fear venturing out at night, noting that criminals have effectively imposed an informal curfew in the area. Alleys near the Highglen and Hin Road intersection are reportedly used to ambush both motorists and pedestrians. Residents have highlighted other crime-prone areas, including the intersection of Lytton Road and Highglen Road, and a spot known locally as Boka Masteps.

Calls for action include a visible police presence, routine patrols, and improved lighting to restore safety and confidence. Community concerns reflect a long history of violent crime in western Harare, with residents pointing to past incidents such as the 2010 case of serial rapist Mlamleli Mpofu, who terrorised women in Mufakose, Marimba, and Kuwadzana and received an effective 60-year jail sentence after part of his 90-year term was suspended.