Zim police officer in court for bribery

A 30-year-old Zimbabwean police officer at Beit Bridge and a friend were hauled before the court a fortnight ago, for allegedly extorting money from illegal immigrants who intended to cross into South Africa through the Beit Bridge Border Post.

Salatiel Marima, a police officer, and Amos Bvunzawabaya (29) of Dulibadzimu suburb in the border town pleaded not guilty to bribery charges, when they appeared before a local magistrate, Mr Carrington Karidzagundi. The case was postponed to August 15, and the two were remanded in custody.

The prosecutor, Mr Jabulani Mberesi, said that on July 30, Marima and Bvunzawabaya went to the Beit Bridge Border Post where they waited for border jumpers intending to cross into South Africa illegally. The court was told that Marima took his police identity card with him and the two men proceeded to the border post.

On arrival at the border, they allegedly came across three border jumpers, who were in the company of three children, and they demanded R50 rand from each, so that they could allow them to cross into South Africa illegally.

The border jumpers failed to raise R50 and offered the accused persons R20 for each child, after which they then crossed the border illegally. An alert police detective, who had been monitoring the two men’s criminal activities from a distance, arrested them soon after they had pocketed the money.

A search was conducted, leading to the discovery of the R60 from Bvunzawabaya.

News - Date: 19 August 2011

Mashudu Netsianda

Mashudu Netsianda is our correspondent in Beit Bridge, Zimbabwe. He joined us in 2006, writing both local and international stories. He had worked for several Zimbabwean publications, as well as the Times of Swaziland. Mashudu received his training at the School of Mass Communication in Harare.

Email: