THEFT IN THE WEST: Robbers Strike Mabelreign Girls High Despite Increased Police Presence

HARARE — Just 24 hours after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) announced heightened deployments to secure the Harare West constituency, brazen armed robbers struck Mabelreign Girls High School, leaving a security guard in critical condition and escaping with approximately US$500. The raid, which occurred early Thursday morning, is the third such attack on an educational institution in the Mabelreign, Westgate, and Marlborough corridor within a single week. The surge in violence comes despite official assurances on Wednesday that patrols would be intensified to curb a rising wave of armed robberies in the affluent northwestern suburbs.

According to eyewitness reports, three men armed with a hammer, crowbars, and wire pliers infiltrated the school grounds around midnight. They intercepted a guard on perimeter patrol, tying his hands and feet with wire before dragging him toward the administration block. A second guard stationed at the School Development Committee (SDC) block was brutally assaulted, sustaining a deep forehead wound after being struck with a blunt object. The suspects then forced entry into a storeroom, broke open a safe, and loaded it into a waiting getaway vehicle.

Mabelreign Girls High is only the latest victim in a terrifying week for Harare West schools:

• Hallingbury Primary: A security guard was tragically killed during a separate attack earlier this week.

• Village of Hope (Good Hope): Three armed men, allegedly using police-issued firearms, ransacked the institution and orphanage for nearly an hour, escaping with over US$30,000.

• Marlborough High: Robbers broke into the offices but left with only US$28 after failing to crack the main safe.

ZRP National Spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi has repeatedly warned school authorities against keeping large sums of cash on-site, especially during the first-term fee collection period.

"Keeping large sums of cash at school premises attracts criminal elements," Nyathi stated in a recent advisory. He urged parents to utilize bank deposits and electronic transfers to "de-risk" the learning environment. However, school heads argue that with the current volatility of the ZiG and the need for immediate operational funds, some cash handling remains unavoidable.

The failure of Wednesday's promised "increased deployments" to prevent the Mabelreign raid has left residents in Westgate and Marlborough feeling vulnerable. Local neighborhood watch committees have reported that the robbers appear to be well-organized, moving between targets with precision and often spending significant time on-site without detection. As one guard remains in critical condition at Parirenyatwa Hospital, the community is calling for more than just "patrols." They are demanding a specialized task force to dismantle what appears to be a gang specifically targeting the education sector.

Mabelreign Girls High robbery April 2026