Harare \u2014 Police recorded crime in Zimbabwe jumped sharply in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) reporting 426,946 offences between October and December, a 12.1 percent rise from the 380,727 recorded in the third quarter.<\/p>\n
The increase pushed the national crime rate to 2,812.7 crimes per 100,000 people, up from 2,508.3 in the previous quarter, according to the ZIMSTAT 2025 Fourth Quarter Crime Statistics Report released this week.<\/p>\n
The spike was driven largely by a surge in offences classified as \u201cacts against public safety and state security,\u201d which accounted for 280,667 incidents and a rate of 1,849.1 per 100,000 \u2014 the single largest contributor to the national figure.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis quarter\u2019s figures are concerning,\u201d ZIMSTAT Director\u2011General Tafadzwa Bandama said in the agency\u2019s preface.<\/p>\n
\u201cCrime statistics reveal trends in criminal activities, enabling policymakers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to develop evidence\u2011based strategic interventions to curb the rise in crime rates.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bandama also warned that recorded figures understate the true level of criminality because they exclude offences not reported to police.
\nHarare remained the most exposed, registering a provincial crime rate of 6,195.3 per 100,000 \u2014 more than double the national average and accounting for 150,371 of the quarter\u2019s offences. Bulawayo, Masvingo and Matabeleland South also posted rates above the national mean, underscoring a concentration of recorded crime in several urban and peri\u2011urban policing provinces.<\/p>\n
The report shows that property crimes and assaults remain prevalent.<\/p>\n
Theft was the single most reported offence with 37,680 cases (248.2 per 100,000), while assaults and threats totaled 29,975 (197.5 per 100,000).<\/p>\n
Burglary cases numbered 8,348 and drug\u2011related offences reached 11,926.<\/p>\n
Sexual violence incidents were recorded at 3,919 for the quarter.
\nZIMSTAT data indicate that 367,557 persons were charged during the quarter, producing an overall charge rate of 2,421.5 per 100,000 people up from 2,136.4 the previous quarter.<\/p>\n
Men accounted for 88 percent of those charged, the male charge rate was 4,438.7 per 100,000, nearly eight times that of females at 557.8 per 100,000.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gender gap in persons charged reflects both patterns of offending and enforcement,\u201d a senior criminologist who reviewed the statistics said, speaking on condition of anonymity. \u201cTargeted prevention and community policing in male\u2011dominated hotspots could help reduce offending and arrest rates.\u201d
\nA substantial portion of the rise is attributable to non\u2011injurious traffic violations and other public\u2011order categories.<\/p>\n
The report lists 279,931 non\u2011injurious traffic violations an enormous component of the \u201cpublic safety and state security\u201d grouping.<\/p>\n
Acts against public order, authority and provisions of the State totaled 17,390 offences for the quarter.
\nAnalysts and civil\u2011society experts urged authorities to interpret the rise carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cAn increase in recorded crime can mean more offences, but it can also reflect improved reporting or enforcement,\u201d said a legal scholar at the University of Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n
\u201cEither way, the government needs to complement enforcement with prevention \u00a0social services, education, and economic opportunity \u00a0particularly in the worst\u2011affected provinces.\u201d<\/p>\n
ZIMSTAT noted limitations in the data, saying recorded figures exclude crimes that are not reported to police or are not recorded by officers, a caveat that could understate some categories such as sexual violence and trafficking.<\/p>\n
Next steps recommended in the report include using the statistics to guide evidence\u2011based interventions across the criminal justice system and strengthening cooperation with technical partners including the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Harare \u2014 Police recorded crime in Zimbabwe jumped sharply in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) reporting 426,946 offences between October and December, a 12.1 percent rise from the 380,727 recorded in the third quarter.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[968],"class_list":{"0":"post-5124","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news-zimbabwe","8":"tag-tafadzwa-bandama"},"yoast_head":"\n