Harare council suspects insider behind string of district office robberies

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume says repeated robberies targeting City of Harare district offices suggest criminals may be receiving inside information on municipal cash movements.

HARARE – Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume says the City of Harare suspects an insider may be colluding with armed robbers targeting council district offices, following a series of break-ins that have seen thousands of United States dollars stolen from municipal revenue centres. Speaking at an Integrity and Accountability Summit hosted by Transparency International Zimbabwe (TIZ), Mafume revealed that approximately US$7,000 was stolen from one of the city's banking halls earlier this week in what he described as the latest in a pattern of carefully coordinated robberies.

The mayor said the repeated attacks, which have targeted council offices responsible for collecting revenue, suggest the perpetrators have prior knowledge of when cash is available.

"We are trying to digitalise as much as possible. Coincidentally, this morning, I just received that US$6,000 or US$7,000 was stolen from one of our banking halls," Mafume said.

Mafume said the City of Harare operates 18 district offices, many of which process cash payments from residents for municipal services. According to the mayor, the offices have become frequent targets for criminals, with robberies occurring once or twice every month.

"We've got about 18 district offices. Once every month or twice every month, there is a robbery at the district offices," he said.

He suggested the timing of the attacks points to possible collusion from within the local authority.

"It's linked to corruption in the sense that these thieves seem to always break in when there's money."

Mafume said the suspects appear to know precisely when significant amounts of cash are being held at district offices, avoiding days when little or no revenue has been collected. The remarks come as the City of Harare continues efforts to expand digital payment systems in a bid to reduce cash handling and minimise opportunities for theft.

The mayor's comments followed a robbery at the Greendale District Office in the early hours of Tuesday. City of Harare spokesperson Stanley Gama confirmed that the incident occurred at around 3 am, adding that investigations are underway. Police and council security officials are examining the circumstances surrounding the break-in, although no arrests have yet been announced. The latest robbery has renewed concerns about security at municipal revenue collection centres and the vulnerability of cash-based payment systems.

Governance experts have consistently argued that expanding electronic payment platforms, strengthening internal controls and improving surveillance systems are among the most effective ways of reducing opportunities for theft and corruption within local authorities. The City of Harare has in recent years encouraged residents to use electronic payment platforms, including bank transfers and mobile money services, as part of broader efforts to modernise revenue collection and improve financial accountability.

Harare district office robberies