Zimbabwean police officials have instituted sweeping restrictions on weapons possession across Harare.
Chief Superintendent M. Masvivi, the commanding officer of Harare Central District Police, formally announced the prohibition order on March 26, 2025. The directive targets explicitly both conventional and traditional weapons.
In terms of Section 13 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act Chapter 11:23, I, Chief Superintendent M. Masvivi, being the Officer Commanding Police, Harare Central District, policing area bound by four districts—Mbare to the south stretching from Braeside Area, Magaba Home Industry up to Sally Mugabe Hospital; Harare North to the west stretching from Marimba Suburban to Kirkman Road; Suburban to the north stretching from Kirkman Road to Corner Borrowdale Road and Churchill Road; and Harare East to the east stretching from Robert Mugabe Airport to Chikurubi Maximum Prison—believing on reasonable grounds that the carrying, whether openly or by concealment, in a public place or thoroughfare, or public display of any of the following weapons or items capable of use as weapon:
a. Catapults, machetes, axes, knobkerries, swords, knives, or daggers.
b. Any traditional weapons whatsoever likely to occasion public disorder or a breach of the peace,
Consequences of Carrying Weapons in Harare
The prohibition order covers the entire Harare Central policing district, with clearly defined boundaries extending from Mbare in the south to Chikurubi Maximum Prison in the east. The restrictions took effect immediately on March 27 and will remain enforceable through May 31, 2025.
Under Zimbabwe’s Maintenance of Peace and Order Act (Chapter 11:23), violations carry severe penalties:
Monetary fines up to level 5
Maximum six-month imprisonment
The potential combination of both penalties
For the avoidance of doubt, it is declared that in terms of Section 13 of the Maintenance of Peace and Order Act Chapter 11:23, any person who fails to comply with such a prohibition shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 5 or imprisonment for six months, or both such fine and imprisonment.
Balancing Cultural Practices With Public Safety
Including traditional weapons in the ban presents particular sensitivity in Zimbabwean society, where certain cultural items hold deep historical significance. However, law enforcement maintains that current circumstances warrant temporary restrictions on all potential instruments of violence.
Authorities encourage citizens to report suspicious activity and emphasize the temporary nature of these measures, intended solely to prevent civil disorder during this volatile period.
