(Last Updated on November 2, 2020 by Editor)
HARARE – Norton member of parliament, Temba Mliswa has urged ZRP boss, Godwin Matanga to step down to allow all investigations levelled against him to be carried out without any interference.
Mliswa said this while addressing the media today in Harare on numerous corruption related allegations against Commissioner General Matanga.
This he said was to ensure junior officers can comfortably and fully investigate these allegations.
“You see the point of allegations is to give opportunity for one to be acquitted, however, in order for these allegations to be thoroughly investigated, it would require CG Matanga to step down pending investigations to mitigate the occurrence of intimidation and or evidence tampering. How does a junior officer investigate his boss while still in office?” said Mliswa during the press conference.
The outspoken MP accused Matanga of a number of issues which include purchasing police vehicles without following proper tender procedures, inflating prices of operational vehicles purchased and also acquiring various stands through corrupt means.
“Sometime in December 2019, CG Matanga, in the company of his Chief Staff Officer, Transport and Logistics, Commissioner Hlabiso, is alleged to have paid a visit to Croco Motors with the intent to purchase eighty (80) operations vehicles without following due tender process and procedure. In his personal capacity, CG Matanga is then alleged to have instructed Croco Motors to clear the eighty vehicles on Customs Clearance Certificates (CCC) under the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Matanga is further alleged to have instructed Croco Motors to brand the aforementioned vehicles in the ZRP colours for collection.”
Mliswa further alleges that ZIMRA however noted the anomalies during a routine visit to Croco Motors and this led to Matanga making frantic efforts to initiate the tender process in retrospect. However these efforts were fruitless which led to Matanga ordering payment to be made for 15 cars leaving the other 65 cars unpaid for.
Matanga, it is claimed tried also in vain to engage Mr Chiwenga, the owner of Croco Motors and subsequently negotiated for condonation papers for the remaining cars, trying to conceal his corrupt administrative practices.
Mliswa also accuses Matanga of inflating vehicle prices that were meant to be bought for Chief Superintendents and Assistant Commissioners.
Mliswa said, “In another in incident, Matanga is alleged to have approached Scanlinik with the intention of purchasing Command vehicles for Chief Superintendents and Assistant Commissioners at a cost of approximately USD43 000. 00(forty-three thousand United States Dollars) each for the Chief Superintendents and USD66, 000.00(sixty-six thousand United States Dollars each for the Assistant Commissioners. The total number of vehicle is yet to be verified. Once again acting in connivance with Commissioner Hlabiso and this time with Scanlinik representatives, the values of the aforementioned vehicles were inflated two-fold at the behest of Matanga…”
The Norton legislator allegies that when the price anomalies came to light, attenpts to conceal the corruption were made by asking for reimbursement from the said company.
Matanga is also accused of receiving 5 residential stands at Sandton development near Westgate from one Felix Munyaradzi. The stands we corruptly acquired it is claimed.
It is also alleged that he also got more stands through illegal means from former Harare Mayor, Hebert Gomba.
Matanga is also accused of forming an alliance with Delish Nguwaya, Director of the Special Anti-Corruption in the President’s, Thabani Mpofu as well as Magistrates and members of the CIO.
Mliswa alleges these people have formed a cartel that is victimising those who would have been arrested by either ZRP or SACU and soliciting bribes from them.
Mliswa argued the state of the country’s police force was critically compromised due to the kind of leadership provided by Matanga, urging the police boss to be investigated.