Online Reporter
Freeman Razemba
Senior Reporter
More than 310 800 criminal cases were reported countrywide between January and March this year, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) has said.
These statistics obtained from the police, indicate a 33,7 percent increase from 232 593 cases reported during the fourth quarter of last year.
Zimstat director general Mr Tafadzwa Bandama said the Zimbabwean community has, of late, experienced more incidents of crime that include theft, robbery, sexual offences, drug-related crimes and murder.
“Such vices leave society entangled with emotional, psychological and physical damage,” Mr Bandama said.
“In addition, acts of crime may result in tensions within families, financial losses, expenditures on private security measures, mental disorders and loss of life.
“At the Government level, resources spent on law enforcement and criminal justice come at the expense of social service delivery.
“To this end, the production of crime statistics plays a vital role in shaping policies and planning within the criminal justice system.”
He said crime statistics reveal trends in criminal activities, enabling policymakers, law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to develop evidence-based strategic interventions to curb the rise in crime rates.
“The police recorded 310 876 offences from January to March 2025, a 33,7 percent increase from 232 593 in the fourth quarter of 2024,” Mr Bandama said.
The national crime rate was 2 048,1 crimes per 100 000 people, an uptick from 1 532,3 per 100 000 observed in the fourth quarter of 2024.
“This implies that for every 100 000 people, about 2 048 crimes were recorded. Further, the crime rates per 100 000 population, for the types of offences.
“The crime rate for offences committed against public order and state security was 1 172,1 per 100 000 population, an increase from 690 per 100 000 recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024.”
