Bribe demand at the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe

A COMPANY registration attempt at the Companies and Intellectual Property Office of Zimbabwe (CIPZ) has raised concerns over technical problems on the registry's online portal and an alleged demand for US$150 in cash from a man stationed at its offices.

The incident began after an applicant spent several weeks trying to register a company through the CIPZ online portal, the official Government platform responsible for company registration.

According to the applicant, repeated attempts to submit a company name search were unsuccessful, with the portal displaying an "insufficient funds" message despite the applicant having money in the online wallet.

The applicant said they repeatedly topped up the wallet, believing insufficient funds were responsible for the failed submissions, but the application still would not go through.

After eventually abandoning the online process, the applicant visited the CIPZ offices at Century House East on Nelson Mandela Avenue in Harare to seek assistance.

The applicant said that before reaching the information desk, a man wearing a green uniform emerged from the name search room and ushered them inside.

The man allegedly asked whether the applicant wanted to register a company and, after being told that the online application was not working, offered to have the application processed within a day for US$150 in cash.

The applicant questioned the amount, pointing out that the gazetted fee for a name search was US$5, while registration of a private limited company was US$60.

However, the man allegedly insisted that the US$150 payment was necessary for the application to be processed.

When asked what the additional payment was for, the man allegedly described it as "ndezvekubatsirana".

The applicant also asked whether a receipt would be issued for the payment but said the man laughed and indicated that no receipt would be provided.

The applicant then asked whether they could submit the application through the normal process and pay only the statutory fees, even if processing took longer.

The man allegedly refused, saying the applicant had to use the online portal if they did not want to pay the US$150.

The applicant said they explained again that the portal was not working, but the man took them back to the foyer and pointed to a notice outlining the online company registration process.

The matter then continued within earshot of a person manning the public information desk.

The applicant said they directly asked the information desk official whether US$150 was genuinely required to register a company.

According to the applicant, the official confirmed the amount and did not indicate that it was an unofficial charge or direct them to another official channel through which the application could be submitted.

Faced with what the applicant described as a choice between paying US$150 in cash or leaving without assistance, they declined to make the payment and left the premises.

The applicant subsequently reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) and made a formal statement.

ZACC reportedly advised that its investigations could take some time and recommended that the applicant approach the Chief Registrar in the meantime to explain what had happened and seek assistance with the company registration.

The applicant later met the Deputy Chief Registrar, who reportedly provided explanations on several aspects of the incident.

According to the applicant, the Deputy Chief Registrar said the registry no longer accepts company filings over the counter and that all applications must be submitted through the online portal.

She also reportedly acknowledged that the portal has technical problems.

In particular, she explained that the "insufficient funds" message could be triggered by the Main Object field. If an applicant enters too much information in the field describing the company's business activities, the submission can reportedly fail while displaying an incorrect insufficient-funds error.

The explanation meant that the applicant had been repeatedly topping up the online wallet while the actual problem was reportedly linked to the information being entered in the application.

The Deputy Chief Registrar also reportedly clarified the status of the man who had demanded the US$150.

According to the applicant, she said the man was not a CIPZ employee but a member of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service deployed at the premises as additional security.

He therefore had no authority to accept company-registration applications, process filings or receive payments.

The Deputy Chief Registrar also reportedly told the applicant that the registry does not accept cash payments, with payments instead being made through swipe or EcoCash.

The applicant subsequently submitted a detailed report to the Deputy Chief Registrar's office, identifying both men involved in the interaction and requesting that disciplinary action be pursued.

The allegations have not been independently verified, and the identities of the officials involved have not been disclosed.

The incident, however, highlights concerns around the accessibility and reliability of Government's digital services, as well as the importance of clear separation between official statutory fees and any unauthorised demands made to members of the public.