The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has in one of the most massive transfers, moved all 217 Police officers from Beitbridge Rural and 11 from Beitbridge CID following the arrests of five cops over R54 000 smuggling bribe.
Among those transferred are four officer-in-charges and every cop is required to be at the new station by Tuesday next week. What worries the transferred officers most is that they are only one-year-old in Beitbridge and they will use their resource to move their properties and families to new stations.
Some complained that their salaries are too low to enable them to move to their new stations and they also expressed concern at the transfer of children during the middle of the term.
Sources told The Mirror that ZRP is alarmed by the level of corruption at Beitbridge Border Post hence the unusual massive transfers.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the transfers in a telephone interview but downplayed the corruption allegations. He said the transfers were routine.
Insiders however, told The Mirror the final straw was a case on June 5 2023 in which Thulani Sigola, the member-in-charge at Makhado Police Post and four others were arrested for receiving R54 000 bribe to facilitate the smuggling of a Toyota Fortuner across Limpopo River.
“The transfers are normal, remember ZRP regularly conducts transfers to ensure that there is job rotation, we check even experience of officers and above all to ensure needy areas are addressed through these transfers, so these are normal transfers,” said Nyathi.
Other sources hailed the Police Commissioner for acting decisively on the matter and there are however, allegations that the transfers were prompted due to corrupt activities
The affected officers are expected to report to their new stations by June 27 and July 4, this year. Masvingo Mirror
