Police graft in Zim: Lucrative border transfers tr...

Police graft in Zim: Lucrative border transfers trigger scrutiny

Zim Now Writer

The Zimbabwe Republic Police has come under scrutiny over allegations that some officers paid their seniors to be reassigned to Beitbridge, a district known for its lucrative smuggling and other criminal activities.

Insiders allege that the practice is rampant, especially in the Criminal Investigations Department, where experienced staff are being transferred to make way for others who pay between US$400 and US$600 to be deployed to the border town. This clandestine scheme is known as “US$400/$600 Pakufamba.”

National police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed that the police command is investigating the allegations.

“The ZRP Command is seriously looking at this issue which has been raised and will give a response in due course,” Nyathi said.

Insiders also claim that such transfers are not confined to Beitbridge alone, but also affect other areas of active commercial and mining activities. This has led to a rise in crime, as inexperienced officers are often deployed due to their proximity to influential officers at head office.

The allegations of corruption within the ZRP are a serious concern, as they undermine the public’s trust in the police force. The police command must take swift action to investigate and address these allegations, and to hold any officers found guilty of corruption accountable.