Harare City Council Cracks Down on Street Children in CBD

Harare City Council spokesperson Stanley Gama said the street children had become a “menace in the city, harassing residents and stealing from them,” with reports of them targeting women and snatching food and valuables. He said:

“Muni­cipal police officers led by Chief Super­in­tend­ent Mhizha roun­ded up street kids in the Cent­ral Busi­ness Dis­trict.

“The street kids are becom­ing a men­ace in the city, har­ass­ing res­id­ents and steal­ing from them.

“The street kids in the city have also become notori­ous for com­mit­ting hor­rendous crimes.”

Gama added that all the street kids were taken to the police.

The youngsters, reportedly aged between 5 and 20, have created a climate of fear by snatching mobile phones, purses, and food, and aggressively targeting women’s accessories such as wigs and jewellery.

Africa Unity Square, Harare Gardens, and the areas around Town House are among the worst-hit locations, where street children are said to be causing chaos and stealing people’s belongings.