Crime Surge in the Second Quarter 2025

Zimbabwe’s crime rate rose by 3.5% in Q2 2025, with over 321,000 offences reported (image source)

HARARE — Zimbabwe recorded a 3.5 percent rise in crime during the second quarter of 2025, with police reporting 321,640 offences between April and June, up from 310,876 in the first quarter, according to ZIMSTAT figures. The increase pushed the national crime rate to 2,119 per 100,000 people, compared with 2,048.1 per 100,000 previously, ZIMSTAT social statistics manager Tinashe Mwadiwa told reporters. “Most provinces recorded higher crime levels; Matabeleland South, Bulawayo and Manicaland showed the steepest increases,” Mwadiwa said.

The quarterly data pointed to concentrated rises in several provinces, with Matabeleland South recording a rate of 693 per 100,000, Bulawayo at 523.2, and Manicaland at 379.5 — all above the national average. The largest share of offences fell under Public Safety and State Security, accounting for 177,909 reported cases, a rate of 1,172.1 per 100,000.

Violent crime remained a critical concern. Police recorded 271 cases of intentional homicide, a rate of 1.8 per 100,000 for the quarter. Assaults and threats were the most frequent offences within acts “causing or intending to cause harm to the person,” registering a rate of 173.7 per 100,000. Property crimes persisted, with 35,911 theft incidents logged, translating to 236.6 per 100,000. “Assaults and thefts are driving much of the public’s sense of insecurity,” said a Harare neighbourhood watch coordinator who asked not to be named, describing longer response times and visible policing gaps.

Economic crime figures showed 2,684 fraud cases (17.7 per 100,000) and 55 forgery or counterfeiting incidents (0.4 per 100,000) for the period. Drug-related offences totalled 2,533 incidents (16.7 per 100,000), while acts against public order reached 5,102 cases (33.6 per 100,000) — trends that police analysts say mirror broader socio-economic stresses.

Traffic violations dominated the dataset, with 191,997 non-injurious traffic offences recorded, a rate of 1,264.9 per 100,000, reflecting both enforcement focus and high incidence of minor road rule breaches. Sexual violence remained a persistent and troubling feature, with 3,248 reported cases in the quarter, a rate of 21.4 per 100,000.

Analysts point to multiple drivers behind the uptick: economic hardship, weakened policing capacity in some provinces, and social tensions aggravated by service delivery shortfalls. “Crime statistics are often the visible end-product of deeper structural problems — unemployment, urban migration and stretched law enforcement resources,” said a criminologist at a Harare university who spoke on condition of anonymity.

ZIMSTAT and police say the findings underscore the need to strengthen community policing, boost public awareness campaigns, and increase law enforcement capacity to curb rising offences. Community groups in Bulawayo and Manicaland have launched neighbourhood patrols and local awareness drives in recent weeks, telling Southerton Business Times they aim to complement police efforts and speed response times. “We cannot wait for top-down solutions alone; communities must mobilise,” said a Bulawayo community leader involved in a new safety patrol.

Policymakers will be watching third-quarter trends for signs that the spike was a short-term blip or the start of a longer pattern. Immediate priorities cited by experts include targeted policing in hotspot provinces, data-driven deployment of resources, and multisector interventions to address the root causes of crime and restore public confidence.