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Harare crowned Zimbabwe's crime capital
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Harare has officially emerged as Zimbabwe's crime capital, topping the list of prison admissions and leading all ten provinces in criminal activity, according to a damning new report from the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat).
Dubbed the "crime furnace" of the nation, the Sunshine City has turned into a hotspot of lawlessness, outpacing border towns and rural hideouts once thought to be breeding grounds for crime. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Harare contributed a staggering 3,019 new inmates to the country's prison population-an alarming leap from 2,639 recorded in the final quarter of 2024.
Across the country, a total of 16,762 individuals were admitted into prison between January and March 2025. Of these, 15,581 were men, and 1,181 were women, with Harare's numbers far outpacing the Midlands (2,231), Mashonaland West (2,029), and Manicaland (1,985). Bulawayo, on the other hand, remained the least criminal province, with only 619 new admissions, down from 647.
ZimStat's latest Prison Admissions and Discharges Report paints a grim portrait of Zimbabwe's urban crime epicentre-one where youth, poverty, and lack of education are driving factors behind the spiralling numbers.
The hardest-hit demographic? Young men aged 20 to 29. In fact, prisoners aged 25–29 lead the pack with 3,866 inmates, followed closely by the 20–24 age group at 3,569. Combined, these two groups make up nearly 44 percent of all newly admitted prisoners-suggesting a national youth crisis in full bloom.
The report also detailed the most common crimes. Theft continues to dominate Zimbabwean courts and jails, with 4,246 people imprisoned for stealing-an increase from 3,892 in Q4 2024. Assault cases also surged to 3,754, followed by burglary (1,830), robbery without firearms (1,148), rape (814), and domestic violence (880). Drug-related crimes almost doubled from 238 to 473, while fraud convictions rose slightly to 415.
The profiles of those behind bars reveal deeper socio-economic fractures. A jaw-dropping 70.1 percent of inmates have only partial or lower secondary education. Those with tertiary qualifications make up just 2.6 percent of the prison population. Meanwhile, unemployment among new inmates sits at a dire 46.8 percent, with joblessness among female prisoners at a shocking 56.1 percent.
"Statistically, if you are young, broke, under-educated and living in Harare, you are Zimbabwe's most likely jailbird," reads a commentary embedded in the report.
The prison system is struggling to keep up with the pace. By the end of Q4 2024, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services held 22,878 inmates-22,130 of whom were men. That translates to an imprisonment rate of 146 per 100,000 people, and a staggering 294 per 100,000 among men alone.
Foreign nationals were not spared in the statistics either. In Q4 2024, 211 foreign nationals-mainly from SADC countries-were imprisoned for crimes such as illegal entry, poaching, and transnational scams.
While civic and government leaders have yet to publicly respond to the latest findings, the report's implications are clear. Zimbabwe is facing a socio-economic crisis with its youth at the epicentre, and Harare appears to be both the flashpoint and the symbol of this national unraveling.
Unless urgent interventions are made to address unemployment, education gaps, and urban poverty, Harare's grim title may soon become more than symbolic. The capital city, once famed for its sunshine and promise, now risks becoming known more for its handcuffs than its hope.
Dubbed the "crime furnace" of the nation, the Sunshine City has turned into a hotspot of lawlessness, outpacing border towns and rural hideouts once thought to be breeding grounds for crime. In the first quarter of 2025 alone, Harare contributed a staggering 3,019 new inmates to the country's prison population-an alarming leap from 2,639 recorded in the final quarter of 2024.
Across the country, a total of 16,762 individuals were admitted into prison between January and March 2025. Of these, 15,581 were men, and 1,181 were women, with Harare's numbers far outpacing the Midlands (2,231), Mashonaland West (2,029), and Manicaland (1,985). Bulawayo, on the other hand, remained the least criminal province, with only 619 new admissions, down from 647.
ZimStat's latest Prison Admissions and Discharges Report paints a grim portrait of Zimbabwe's urban crime epicentre-one where youth, poverty, and lack of education are driving factors behind the spiralling numbers.
The hardest-hit demographic? Young men aged 20 to 29. In fact, prisoners aged 25–29 lead the pack with 3,866 inmates, followed closely by the 20–24 age group at 3,569. Combined, these two groups make up nearly 44 percent of all newly admitted prisoners-suggesting a national youth crisis in full bloom.
The report also detailed the most common crimes. Theft continues to dominate Zimbabwean courts and jails, with 4,246 people imprisoned for stealing-an increase from 3,892 in Q4 2024. Assault cases also surged to 3,754, followed by burglary (1,830), robbery without firearms (1,148), rape (814), and domestic violence (880). Drug-related crimes almost doubled from 238 to 473, while fraud convictions rose slightly to 415.
The profiles of those behind bars reveal deeper socio-economic fractures. A jaw-dropping 70.1 percent of inmates have only partial or lower secondary education. Those with tertiary qualifications make up just 2.6 percent of the prison population. Meanwhile, unemployment among new inmates sits at a dire 46.8 percent, with joblessness among female prisoners at a shocking 56.1 percent.
"Statistically, if you are young, broke, under-educated and living in Harare, you are Zimbabwe's most likely jailbird," reads a commentary embedded in the report.
The prison system is struggling to keep up with the pace. By the end of Q4 2024, the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services held 22,878 inmates-22,130 of whom were men. That translates to an imprisonment rate of 146 per 100,000 people, and a staggering 294 per 100,000 among men alone.
Foreign nationals were not spared in the statistics either. In Q4 2024, 211 foreign nationals-mainly from SADC countries-were imprisoned for crimes such as illegal entry, poaching, and transnational scams.
While civic and government leaders have yet to publicly respond to the latest findings, the report's implications are clear. Zimbabwe is facing a socio-economic crisis with its youth at the epicentre, and Harare appears to be both the flashpoint and the symbol of this national unraveling.
Unless urgent interventions are made to address unemployment, education gaps, and urban poverty, Harare's grim title may soon become more than symbolic. The capital city, once famed for its sunshine and promise, now risks becoming known more for its handcuffs than its hope.
Source - B-Metro
