Armed crime soars as Zimbabwe frees prison space

A spate of armed robberies has hit the Zimbabwe capital of Harare following the release of hardened criminals from jail to make room for political prisoners.

State radio said police were launching a crackdown on gun crime after robbers stole cars at gunpoint and used firearms in house burglaries.

At least four cases of armed robbery were reported daily in Harare in the past two weeks, the highest on record.

It blamed the situation on an amnesty authorised by President Robert Mugabe to make room for those arrested during a disputed presidential run-off election in June.

Up to now, gun crime has not been common in Harare. Government critics, however, believe that crime is being spurred by the deepening political and economic turmoil.

Zimbabwe’s economic meltdown has led to brisk illegal black market trading and growing use of US dollars in basic transactions. With chronic shortages of local cash available at banks, cash and hard currency are often kept at home.

Last week the central bank slashed 10 zeros from the local currency in Zimbabwe’s hyper-inflationary economy.

Independent financial experts estimate Zimbabwe’s real inflation at more than 12.5 million per cent a year fuelled by acute shortages of food, power, petrol and medicine.

The opposition Movement for Democratic Change says at least 120 of its supporters were killed in political violence blamed on Mugabe supporters surrounding parliamentary elections March 29 and the disputed June 27 presidential run-off.

Thousands more were displaced from their homes and hundreds of opposition supporters were jailed for allegedly perpetrating political violence.

On June 10, Mugabe’s Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa announced a prisoner amnesty to “create space” in the nation’s jails for political offenders.

He said prisoners convicted of murder, rape and other serious offences would not be freed.