Zimbabwe police bosses steal rations

Junior officers in the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have accused their superiors of diverting and selling food rations intended for rank-and-file personnel, raising serious concerns over internal corruption and welfare abuse within the force.

The allegations, made by officers mainly from Harare Metropolitan Province, were revealed in interviews with NewsDay, where several junior cops claimed they were going hungry while their bosses sold or took home essential food supplies such as rice, sugar, cooking oil, eggs, and potatoes.

The junior officers are now appealing to Commissioner-General Stephen Mutamba to urgently intervene and enforce transparency in the ration distribution programme, which was revived earlier this year as part of a broader government initiative to support police welfare and reduce corruption.

Under the programme, police canteens were reintroduced at stations across the country, offering meals such as fried eggs for breakfast and meat for lunch, with the aim of curbing petty corruption linked to food insecurity among low-paid officers.

However, the junior officers say they have not benefited from the programme as expected. Instead, they claim senior officers routinely take food for personal use or sell it under the guise of surplus, exploiting erratic and poorly tracked supply schedules.

"The theft is becoming uncontrollable," said one junior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity. "Supplies don't arrive in full; they come in batches on different days, and the bosses take advantage of this inconsistency to help themselves."

Some officers said they were coerced into helping their superiors offload stolen goods.

"A boss just gives you a directive to carry a box of cooking oil to their car and you cannot question a boss," one officer said. "Sometimes they reward you with a loaf of bread, because bread comes in such large quantities that two officers can share one."

The accusations point to a systemic abuse of power that undermines the very purpose of the ration programme, designed to improve officer morale and reduce bribe-seeking behaviour.

In response to the claims, national police spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the ZRP had not received any official reports but warned that those found guilty would face arrest.

"If there are any police officers, whether junior or senior, in Harare province who are selling or misusing rations meant for the welfare of officers, they deserve to be arrested," said Commissioner Nyathi.

"We want the information on what is happening, and definitely, the offenders will be arrested. They are stealing from every cop, and they must be identified and arrested."

The incident has sparked renewed debate about internal oversight, accountability mechanisms, and welfare disparities within the police force, with many calling for independent audits and stricter monitoring of resource distribution.