Police in Lower Gweru accused of swindling villagers

Members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police in Lower Gweru have been accused of swindling villagers of the cash as they t3end to hire a private vehicle during cattle sales to Makhulambila market place to clear the livestock bought and the transport fare is allegedly demanded from the villagers.

A villager who asked to remain anonymous told the story of corruption by police officers in the Anti Stock Theft Department.

"The police station is in Maboleni and the Cattle Sale Market Place is in Makhulambila , hardly 10 km apart. There's a ZRP Vehicle at the station but Officers opt to hire (not hike ) some guy in the neighbourhood. The cost of hiring then gets imposed on the villagers," he said. "The rate of payment for the officer's transport is $20 per a beast cleared by the officer. Transport fares not charged per distance travelled is high rank madness."

He said the officers money is deducted directly from the transaction before the seller even receives it.

"If 100 beasts are sold in a day the officer pockets $2000 as transport fares for a distance less than 10 km," he said.

"On the other side, some villagers would have hired transport to ferry their beasts from the market and have to pay the transporter. Then there's sales tax deducted by government. In the end a minimum of $50 per beast, is lost to corruption and bureaucracy."

The villager said to then go around sloganeering that a people subdued to that extent can liberate themselves is a serious crime against the future some of us are committing.

"No matter how many fliers, rallies, marches and elections are held in Lower Gweru the people remain subdued," he said.