Fake Police Officer Jailed for Extorting Cash and Beer from Shurugwi Shop Owners

A 33-year-old security guard employed by Shurugwi Town Council has been sentenced to 36 months in prison after masquerading as a police officer and extorting money and goods from local businesses. Wilson Mateveke was convicted on his own plea by Shurugwi magistrate Sithembinkosi Gowero last Friday on two counts of impersonating a police officer and theft.

The court heard that Mateveke committed the offences alongside Clearance Chimangariso (44) and Mukudzei Mahachi (33), both residents of Makusha suburb in Shurugwi.

According to the State, the trio carried out the scam at Musasa Business Centre, where they posed as detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), a specialised arm of the Zimbabwe Republic Police.

“They approached a tuck-shop owner and demanded a bribe, misrepresenting themselves as CID officers conducting investigations,” prosecutor Kwanele Njini told the court.

The suspects allegedly intimidated the shop owner into handing over US$20 before proceeding to another business, where they were given two six-packs of beer under similar pretences.

However, their scheme quickly unravelled when a vigilant member of the public recognised the trio and alerted other shop owners that the suspects were not legitimate law enforcement officers. Eyewitnesses said the warning spread rapidly across the business centre, prompting residents to take action.

“We realised something was not right because they were demanding money without any proper identification,” said a local shopkeeper who witnessed the incident. “People started talking, and that’s when we confronted them.”

A villager then effected a citizen’s arrest, leading to the trio being handed over to police officers for formal processing.

Legal experts say cases of impersonating law enforcement officers are treated seriously in Zimbabwe due to the potential for abuse and erosion of public trust.

“Impersonating a police officer undermines the integrity of law enforcement institutions and exposes citizens to exploitation,” said a Harare-based legal analyst. “Courts typically impose deterrent sentences to send a strong message.”

Mateveke was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 36 months behind bars, while proceedings against his co-accused, Chimangariso and Mahachi, are still pending before the courts.

The case highlights growing concerns among small business owners in rural and peri-urban areas over fraud and impersonation scams, particularly those involving individuals posing as officials to extort money. Authorities have urged members of the public to always verify the identity of law enforcement officers and report suspicious activity to the nearest police station.

Shurugwi fake police officer