DANGER ZONES: Parking lots, offices, cafeteria isolated roads and paths leading to and outside the university campus. The playgrounds are also not very safe especially after sunset
Criminals posing as students have turned the country's most respected and oldest university into a den of robbers—which poses a security threat to thousands of students and their lecturers, thanks to security lapses.
The criminals, who carry laptop bags and books to camouflage their real motive, have vandalised cars belonging to lecturers and students. They have also raped female students and staged robberies right inside the university. There are occasional rape attempts reported each week, according to information available to The Citizen.
Arriving at your office, only to find that your property has been stolen, is a devastating experience. Your sense of safety and well-being is compromised, not to mention the loss of property worth a good deal of money.
Theft of and from cars appears to be just another element of life at the University of Dar es Salaam. Residents, students and visitors who own cars and those who visit have suffered extreme agony brought on by crime at the campus.
Armed robberies targeting student laptops, handbags and mobile phones are seemingly on the rise.
With neither Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera nor rigorous inspection of people who enter or exit the university premises, criminals have found it easy to rob their targets—mainly students.
Car vandalism at parking yards and staff residential areas is another issue that poses a big security challenge at the campus. A resident of Sinza Road flats had this to say: "I parked my car at around noon. When I came out of the house at around 3pm, I could not recognise it. All lights, power windows, side mirrors, radio and several other parts were gone—and all this in broad daylight."
Those who park their vehicles at their residential flats have been the main target of muggers. Besides car vandalism, car windows have been smashed and valuables stolen. Auxiliary police have been patrolling the campus but the problem appears to be on the rise as the days go by.
According to students who live off campus, some of those who pretend to be students rob them on their way home. "You can see people carrying books and laptop bags walking to Changanyikeni and think they are fellow students," said Mr Julius Mushi, who was robbed of a laptop computer and a mobile phone last year. "But they attack you and steal everything."
Auxiliary police have recorded up to seven reported cases every week within the university and its vicinity. In the past two years, a man who posed as a student was even elected to the student government only to disappear when he came under scrutiny.
Our (The Citizen) investigation revealed that some of the robbers come to the campus under the pretext of jogging and joining other members of the community of athletes.
Last month, someone parked his Toyota Noah at Research flats and walked a few metres from the office—only to find nothing barely a few minutes later. In February 2012, a man lost his Suzuki Escudo at the College of Engineering and Technology parking lot. A Suzuki Swift was also stolen at the same venue in the same month. Other car thefts have taken place at various parking yards 
