Five traffic officers from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Marondera have been arrested after allegedly trying to extort US$540 (about R10,000) from a motorist. Their arrest followed a coordinated sting led by police internal investigators working together with the Southern Africa Regional Anti-Corruption Organisation (SARACO).

The case began last week when the officers stopped motorist Craig Nyandoro at a roadblock. They reportedly claimed he was driving a newly imported vehicle without the required documentation.

Setting the Trap

SARACO director Paddington Kadzungura said Nyandoro actually had all the necessary papers, but the officers allegedly pushed for a payment anyway. He confirmed that Sergeant Mugutso and Constables Dzomba, Chabhanga, Rusinga, and Madondo are the ones now facing charges. Kadzungura explained how a routine stop quickly turned into a corruption complaint.

“They forcibly took US$540 from him, and because of his frustration he reported the issue to SARACO through one of our assistant deputy directors, who immediately activated our office,” he said.

Once SARACO received the report, investigators moved swiftly. They engaged senior ZRP officials to plan a controlled response.

Plan to Recover the Money

Nyandoro was instructed to contact the officers and request his money back, but not to finalise anything until the arrest team could intervene. The aim was to catch the officers in the act of dealing with the illegal payment.

Kadzungura said the officers, realising the situation was turning against them, tried to persuade Nyandoro not to escalate the matter, promising to return the money. However, he was advised to wait for the right moment so the arrests could be executed properly.

The Arrest Operation

On Thursday, a joint team of two SARACO investigators and five officers from Police General Headquarters Internal Investigations travelled to Marondera. They briefed the local officer-in-charge before moving in.

“The officers, who were already at a roadblock, were summoned and immediately arrested,” Kadzungura said.

All five are now detained at Marondera Police Station. They have been charged with extortion under the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act. Their case, registered as RRB 6245854, is now awaiting appearance in court.