Zim GBC News | Crimes and Courts
SILOBELA – Authorities have declared Silobela a crime epicentre after recording 1,292 cases of murder, rape, armed robbery, and stock theft between January and September 2025, prompting a province-wide security crackdown targeting notorious criminal gangs known as “Mabhuru.”
The alarming statistics, representing a sharp increase from 1,010 cases during the same period last year, were revealed by Midlands Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Owen Ncube during a crime awareness campaign at Cross Roads Business Centre in Silobela.
“Regrettably, I am advised that prevalent crimes in the Midlands Province in general and Silobela in particular include murder, assaults, armed robbery, drugs and substance abuse, domestic violence, rape and stock theft,” Minister Ncube stated.
The Minister attributed the surge in violent crime to the area’s transformation from a quiet mining enclave to a hotspot for criminal gangs preying on artisanal miners and residents.
Minister Ncube explained that the security campaign aligns with President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s State of the Nation Address emphasis on discipline and peace as prerequisites for economic growth.
“I extend my profound appreciation to President Mnangagwa for spearheaded support systems that enhance the smooth operations of the ZRP,” he said, citing improved police resources including service vehicles, borehole drilling at rural outposts, and enhanced officer training.
The crackdown has seen significant drug enforcement achievements, with Midlands Province leading the country in anti-drug operations.
“I commend our Police Force in the Province led by Commissioner Nyabadza for accounting for robberies, murder cases, perpetrators of domestic violence, rape, stock theft, illegal mining, drug and substance abuse,” Ncube said.
“I therefore warn all those engaged in drug peddling that the long arm of the law will soon catch up with them.”
The province has dismantled 78 drug bases and arrested 434 peddlers, confiscating substances including mbanje, ganja cakes, bronco, zvimbwa, and crystal meth.
Minister Ncube also praised community crime prevention networks and the judiciary for handing down deterrent sentences of 20 years to life imprisonment for serious crimes.
He warned that violence undermines investment and tourism prospects, urging unity to build a peaceful province aligned with Vision 2030.
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