Three Zimbabwe police officers jailed five years each for corruption

Three Zimbabwe Republic Police officers have been sentenced to five years' imprisonment each after being convicted of criminal abuse of office.

HARARE – The Harare Magistrates' Court has sentenced three Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) officers to five years' imprisonment each after convicting them of criminal abuse of office following an anti-corruption investigation. The convictions were confirmed on Friday by ZRP national spokesperson Commissioner Paul Nyathi, who said the officers were arrested during an operation conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Police Anti-Corruption Unit.

According to Commissioner Nyathi, the sentences were handed down on 24 June 2026. The convicted officers are Constable Prosper Muchangani (36), Constable Shelton Masvande (34) and Constable Mercy Makarimai (37). At the time of the offence, the trio was stationed at ZRP Murewa Traffic and deployed to Chinamhora Base. Police said the officers were arrested on 21 December 2025 at a roadblock located at the 21-kilometre peg along the Harare–Domboshava Road. Investigators recovered US$975 in cash from the officers during the operation.

According to the ZRP, investigations established that no official traffic fine receipts had been issued for the money found in their possession. Police further alleged that the cash had not been declared before the officers commenced duty and that their deployment to the roadblock had not been entered into the official deployment register. The court subsequently found the three officers guilty of criminal abuse of office and sentenced each of them to five years in prison.

Commenting on the outcome of the case, Commissioner Nyathi said the Zimbabwe Republic Police remained committed to rooting out corruption within its ranks.

"The public is urged to continue reporting any incidents of corruption, bribery and other forms of criminal conduct involving police officers and other individuals in communities," he said.

"The organisation will continue taking decisive action against any officer who engages in corrupt or criminal activities, regardless of rank or position."

The convictions form part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement authorities to strengthen accountability and combat corruption within public institutions.

Anti-corruption campaigns have increasingly targeted offences involving abuse of office, bribery and unlawful conduct by public officials, with police encouraging members of the public to report suspected cases through established reporting channels. The Zimbabwe Republic Police says internal disciplinary processes and criminal investigations will continue to be pursued where evidence indicates that officers have acted outside the law.

ZRP officers jailed for corruption