Zim Now Writer
The Zimbabwe Republic Police has effected a sweep clean moving all 217 Police officers from Beitbridge Rural and 11 from Beitbridge CID
Among those affected in the unprecedented mass transfer are four officers-in-charge. All affected cops have been directed to report at their new stations by Tuesday next week.
Sources within ZRP told Zim Now that the challenge of corruption among police officers at the border town has been topical at the highest level following media exposes.
Zim Now did an investigation on the smuggling of various items out of Zimbabwe through Beitbridge. ZRP has kept on postponing giving responses to questions on investigation into corrupt government agents including police officers following several cases on either side of the border involving confiscation of smuggled goods and arrest of culprits who would have passed through official crossing points.
The sources said the decision for the sudden en masse transfer was taken after the case on June 5 2023 in which Thulani Sigola, the member-in-charge at Makhado Police Post and four others were arrested for receiving R54 000 bribe to facilitate the smuggling of a Toyota Fortuner across Limpopo River.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the transfers but downplayed the corruption allegations saying the transfers were routine.
“The transfers are normal, remember ZRP regularly conducts transfers to ensure that there is job rotation, we check even experience of officers and above all to ensure needy areas are addressed through these transfers, so these are normal transfers,” said Nyathi.
But sources told Zim Now that the transfers were not standard as some officers had only been in Beitbridge for a year.
A number of the affected officers complained that the sudden movement in the middle of the school term was a logistical nightmare for families with school going kids.
Some sources hailed the police commissioner for acting decisively on the matter and said a strict zero-tolerance policy would deter the incoming officers from blatant corruption.
Others said similar clean sweeps from other government border control authorities like Zimbabwe Revenue Authority and the Immigration and Customs departments along with other stringent monitoring measures would give real results.
A recent report presented in parliament said that corrupt officials at the entry/exit points of the country are key enablers in the smuggling that is seeing Zimbabwe lose millions of dollars’ worth of minerals and other products.
Neighbouring South Africa has also been fighting with police corruption and in November last 6 SAPS officers were arrested on allegations of being part of cigarette smuggling cartel.
This is a Zim Now team article produced with support from the Voluntary Media Council of Zimbabwe (VMCZ) Investigative Journalism fund on transnational crimes
Zim Now WriterTwo suspected peddlers were arrested in Beitbridge for possession of approximately 7 kilograms of dagga. Fainurse Chitanga (37) and Prosper Chitanga (38) were taken into custody by det..
ZimbabweZim Now WriterThe Zimbabwean government has rejected claims that the recent deaths of thousands of fish and four rhinos at Lake Chivero were caused by human waste or raw sewage discharged into the w..
ZimbabweZim Now ReporterLocal Construction Company, Tefoma Construction joint venture, has launched an investigation into a fatal accident at the Trababalas interchange that claimed the life of a sub-contra..
Zimbabwe
Leave Comments