In a significant crackdown, the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) have arrested eight employees of the Civil Registry Department in Harare for their alleged involvement in the fraudulent issuance of Zimbabwean passports to four Cameroonian nationals. The suspects were apprehended as the Cameroonians attempted to cross into South Africa at the Beitbridge border.
The arrested employees include Romeo Shonhiwa, Marrian Roman, Lackmore Chinokokora, Grace Kapungu, Chiedza Hlomani, Maureen Natasha Munemo, Tanaka Magaya, and Edith Moto. All have been charged with criminal abuse of office due to their roles in this illegal operation.
The four Cameroonian nationals were found in possession of freshly issued Zimbabwean passports that contained Shona names, despite their inability to speak the language. The names listed included Emile Chingwaru, Christiana Mhereyenyoka, Yvette Maini, and Marvel Chimbwanda, all claiming to hail from Mount Darwin.
Reports indicate that the Cameroonians initially obtained fraudulent birth certificates from Mount Darwin, which they then used to claim lost identity documents at the Harare passport office. Remarkably, the passports were issued in just two days, a stark contrast to the usual seven-day processing period. Each passport was priced at $170, but the Cameroonians reportedly paid a bribe of $1,500 each to expedite the process, intending to use the passports for entry into South Africa and subsequently the United Kingdom.
The ZRP is expanding their investigation into a larger network within the Registrar General’s office, suspecting additional employees may be complicit in the fraudulent scheme. Two general workers, Neria Sombi and Trymore Chipanga, have already been questioned after CCTV footage showed them assisting with the fraudulent applications.
Further implicating the arrested employees, footage revealed that Tanaka Magaya received money from a woman believed to be part of the operation. The Cameroonian nationals are now facing fraud charges and remain in police custody alongside the eight arrested passport office employees. As the investigation unfolds, authorities anticipate more individuals will be implicated in this widespread corruption scandal.