Burglary in Halls of Residence at the University of Zimbabwe, Harare.

Abstract

This study explores why burglary persists in student hostels on campus despite the various security measures and mechanisms that have been put in place to manage and reduce it. Selection of respondents is done using purposive refferal sampling. Information regarding why burglary persists was solicited from students, security guards and staff respondents using semi structured interviews and focus group discussions. Document analysis was done to follow up on burglary cases. The study reveals that while the Security Department SD has put in place several security measures to reduce burglary, the measures are not water tight due to various issues. Burglars device ways of skipping the security guards and sometimes they not only dodge the security guards but also go through them using various techniques like waving an identity card as a manipulative strategy to get away with their crimes. The study demonstrates how security concerns situated with the broader social relations have loopholes which thieves capitalize on. The study confirms Foucaults’ analysis of disembodied security whose effectiveness lies not so much on the presence of those who embody it as being efficient. Security embodied in security guards seems to be inefficient in the absence of the security guards who embody it. In some cases the security guards are prone to manipulation by thieves.