The Sunday Mail
Nyore Madzianike
HARARE has been ranked the most dangerous province in the country, as it held the highest number of jailed inmates during the second quarter of this year.
This is according to police recorded crime data released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat).
Bulawayo was ranked the lowest.
The data shows that the crime rate in the country decreased by 13,7 percent from 206 300 recorded during the first quarter of the year, to 178 031 recorded during the second quarter of 2023.
During the same period, crime rates were 1 359,1 per 100 000 people for the first quarter and 1 172,9 per 100 000 for the second quarter.
Other provinces witnessed a decline in crime between the first and second quarter of this year.
Recorded crime figures exclude crimes that have not been reported to the police.
ZimStat has highlighted that about 11 930 prisoners were imprisoned during the second quarter of this year, after committing a combined total of 14 867 offences across the country.
Out of the total offences committed, men accounted for 13 872 while women committed 995 crimes.
According to ZimStat, most new prisoners were from Harare province at 16,1 percent, followed by Mashonaland West with 12,2 percent.
Midlands was also ranked third with 11,9 percent on new comers into the provinces’ prison, while Manicaland and Mashonaland provinces recorded 10,9 and 10,2 percent, respectively.
Mashonaland East and Masvingo recorded 9,8 percent and 9 percent, respectively, in new inmates occupying their various jails.
Matabeleland North and South received 6,2 percent and 6,7 percent of new prisoners, while Bulawayo was ranked the lowest recording 3,8 percent new inmates.
The data shows that the most committed crimes were non-injurious traffic violations that accounted for 56 490 offences, at a rate of 372,2 per 100 000 people.
And the second most committed offence was theft, with 35 295 offences and a rate of 232,5 per 100 000 people.
