Deputy Commissioner of Police Liberatus Sabas displays SMG rifles seized during a shootout between criminals and police in Pagae village, Kibiti District, Coast Region in 2016.Photo: File
Poverty Sparks Crime Surge in Tanzania: New Statistics Unveil Alarming Trends
By Adonis Byemelwa
Poverty has been identified as a significant driver of rising crime rates, with individuals resorting to unlawful means to secure income. This finding is detailed in the 2023 report on crime and road safety statistics, recently published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The report, which gathered data from the Tanzania Police Force, reveals that by December 2023, a total of 607,102 criminal incidents were reported, compared to 574,881 in 2022—an increase of 32,221 crimes.
Of the crimes reported last year, 53,640 were classified as major, and 553,462 as minor, compared to 54,123 major and 520,758 minor incidents in 2022. Theft-related crimes led the minor offenses with 258,488 cases, followed by crimes against persons at 171,858, and moral offenses at 123,116.
The report indicates that theft-related crimes increased by 7.6% from 21,767 to 23,414 in 2023. These crimes include armed robbery, highway robbery, armed theft, violent robbery, burglary, general theft, motorcycle and vehicle theft, livestock theft, arson, and financial crimes.
Within this category, burglary accounted for 51.57% of all reported incidents, followed by motorcycle theft with 3,861 cases, livestock theft with 3,762 cases, and violent robbery with 1,327 cases.
Crimes against persons, including murder, rape, sodomy, child theft, child abandonment, and human trafficking, rose to 13,748 in 2023 from 11,118 the previous year. Rape was the most reported crime, increasing from 6,827 in 2022 to 8,691 last year. It was closely followed by sodomy, which saw a 56.9% rise to 2,488 cases from 1,586 in 2022.
Murders, however, decreased from 2,464 cases in 2022 to 2,303 last year. Moral offenses saw a general decrease, with 15 out of 16 identified crimes showing a reduction, except for bomb possession, which increased from one case in 2022 to three in 2023. Overall, moral offenses dropped by 22.4%, from 21,238 cases in 2022 to 16,478 in 2023.
The overall assessment shows that minor offenses were most prevalent in the police regions of Kinondoni (57,404), Mwanza (47,220), Ilala (36,806), Temeke (34,500), and Morogoro (30,474). Regions or units with the fewest minor offenses included Tazara (70), Marine (97), Ports (109), Airports (129), and Railways (186).
The report outlines the Tanzania Police Force’s strategies to combat crime, including encouraging communities, especially the youth, to engage in legal entrepreneurial activities for income generation. It also calls on financial institutions to reduce the bureaucracy and high interest rates associated with accessing affordable loans.
This aligns with promoting sustainable public education programs, particularly in entrepreneurship. For murders, whose causes are cited as jealousy, revenge, greed, intoxication, land or property disputes, and superstitious beliefs, the Police Force emphasizes continued public education.
This education aims to dissuade communities from taking the law into their own hands, a goal to be achieved through collaboration with various institutions, including religious organizations.
Commenting on the issue, Economics Lecturer Dr. Balozi Morwa noted that the uncertainty people face in securing their daily livelihoods significantly contributes to crime. This is driven by unemployment and the inability to self-employ after completing higher education, leading individuals to view life as unprofitable.
Desperation caused by poverty pushes people into crime. They understand the risks but see no benefits ahead and prefer prison over idling on the streets, Dr. Morwa explained. He stressed the importance of creating conducive environments for economic empowerment rather than allowing such conditions to persist.
Do not allow such conditions to continue. If people cannot find government employment, they should be facilitated to self-employ. If all avenues are closed, people will inevitably turn to crime, he added.
Economics expert Oscar Mkude suggested controlling crime by educating people on family planning to prevent unplanned births. He critiqued the outdated notion that God would provide for children, pointing out that in the past, people relied on farming to feed their families, a scenario that no longer applies.
Nowadays, there are many considerations, including food procurement, which are not widely discussed. It is time for people to have proper family planning, Mkude stated. He noted that without proper family planning, some people continue to have children despite their poor living conditions, perpetuating the cycle of poverty for future generations.
Having children changes one’s responsibilities. Telling people to just procreate is misleading. Family planning education and services are essential, Mkude emphasized.
He advised providing people with skills aligned with their interests to enable self-employment and income generation. These initiatives require funding and planning. There must be specific strategies to support and reach these individuals.
Some are poor with children and unsure how to support them, including their education, Mkude remarked. On a national level, he emphasized the need for a thriving economy to create small job opportunities, allowing people to earn an income.
The economy should not just grow in numbers and on paper. It must generate small jobs to provide people with income. When the economy thrives and people have money in their pockets, those earnings can create jobs for others, alleviating economic hardship, he concluded.
