By Tinotenda Hove

In a significant blow to corruption, two traffic officers from ZRP Chinhoyi Traffic have been convicted of criminal abuse of office. Desire Mangombe (30) and Macdonald Tapesa (32) were found guilty of demanding a US$60 weekly bribe from a transport operator in exchange for free passage [1).

The conviction stems from a lengthy extortion scheme that began in January 2022. The officers allegedly targeted Tafadzwa Bvunzawabaya, a manager at Wolfspack Transport Services, soliciting bribes on a weekly basis.

Their downfall came on September 15, 2022, when a team from Police General Headquarters Harare set up a sting operation. Using marked US dollar notes, the team caught the officers accepting the bribe at their station. They were immediately arrested, and the trap money was recovered.

Mangombe and Tapesa were convicted under Section 174(1)(a) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23] and sentenced to 490 hours of community service.

This conviction serves as a reminder of the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe’s (NPAZ) commitment to combating corruption and ensuring justice is served. Corruption erodes public trust in law enforcement, and cases like this demonstrate the importance of holding officials accountable for their actions.