News / National
Harare suspends 10 employees for corruption
08 Nov 2024 at 07:25hrs | Views
The Harare City Council has suspended eight municipal police officers and two water department employees following allegations of corruption, including extortion and bribery, according to an announcement by the city's corporate communications manager, Mr. Stanley Gama, on the council's official Facebook page.
The suspended officials, identified as Takudzwa Majachani, Sipiwe Matavire, Taurai Guregure, Hebert Mukumba, Tonderai Nyikadzino, Douglas Nyemba, Ignatius Pesvani, and Newman Mhereyenyoka, as well as parking supervisors Mapfumo and Muringisi, allegedly exploited their positions to demand payments for shop licenses and take bribes from motorists.
Mr. Gama provided details of several incidents, beginning with an October 21, 2024, event at Reliance Mall, where Environmental Patrolwomen Unit officers Majachani and Matavire reportedly posed as authorized licensing officers to demand shop licenses from a business owner. On the same day, at Superbrite Soap Manufacturing Company in Workington, Harare, patrolmen Guregure, Mukumba, Nyikadzino, and Nyemba were also accused of impersonating police officers and allegedly extorting soap products from the business.
On October 24, two Harare Water Department employees, Pesvani and Mhereyenyoka, were similarly accused of misrepresenting themselves as police officers on licensing duty. The two reportedly demanded shop licenses from Kartoque company at 80 Mama Mafuyana Drive in Mabelreign. They were eventually detained by the public and handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) at Mabelreign Police Station.
Another incident involving parking supervisors Mapfumo and Muringisi occurred on October 26 along Julius Nyerere Way, where they reportedly demanded a US$20 bribe from a motorist they had detained for parking improperly. The incident was captured on video by the complainant, who shared it on social media, bringing further scrutiny to the officials' actions.
"These actions were inconsistent with their duties and have caused irreparable damage to the institution," Mr. Gama stated. He also encouraged residents to report any suspicious or unlawful behavior by council officials, underscoring the city's commitment to rooting out corruption within its ranks.
The suspended officials, identified as Takudzwa Majachani, Sipiwe Matavire, Taurai Guregure, Hebert Mukumba, Tonderai Nyikadzino, Douglas Nyemba, Ignatius Pesvani, and Newman Mhereyenyoka, as well as parking supervisors Mapfumo and Muringisi, allegedly exploited their positions to demand payments for shop licenses and take bribes from motorists.
Mr. Gama provided details of several incidents, beginning with an October 21, 2024, event at Reliance Mall, where Environmental Patrolwomen Unit officers Majachani and Matavire reportedly posed as authorized licensing officers to demand shop licenses from a business owner. On the same day, at Superbrite Soap Manufacturing Company in Workington, Harare, patrolmen Guregure, Mukumba, Nyikadzino, and Nyemba were also accused of impersonating police officers and allegedly extorting soap products from the business.
On October 24, two Harare Water Department employees, Pesvani and Mhereyenyoka, were similarly accused of misrepresenting themselves as police officers on licensing duty. The two reportedly demanded shop licenses from Kartoque company at 80 Mama Mafuyana Drive in Mabelreign. They were eventually detained by the public and handed over to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) at Mabelreign Police Station.
Another incident involving parking supervisors Mapfumo and Muringisi occurred on October 26 along Julius Nyerere Way, where they reportedly demanded a US$20 bribe from a motorist they had detained for parking improperly. The incident was captured on video by the complainant, who shared it on social media, bringing further scrutiny to the officials' actions.
"These actions were inconsistent with their duties and have caused irreparable damage to the institution," Mr. Gama stated. He also encouraged residents to report any suspicious or unlawful behavior by council officials, underscoring the city's commitment to rooting out corruption within its ranks.
Source - The Herald
