The Sunday Mail
Christabell Chari
Police have arrested four Zinara tolling officers who are accused of defrauding the road authority in a tollgate voucher scam.The four — Stewart Sihlangu (25) from Waterfalls, Annie Wadzanai Muridzi (30), Shoriwa Mangoma (45) from Glen Norah B and Peter Maphosa (38) of Zengeza 2 — are said to have been issuing expired vouchers at the Skyline tollgate located just after Boka Tobacco Sales in Harare.
ZRP Harare provincial spokesperson Inspector Tedious Chibanda confirmed the arrest of the four, saying that investigations so far have showed that Zinara was prejudiced of over US$105.
The figure is expected to shoot up as investigations continue.
“I can confirm that we arrested four Zinara officials on fraud charges,” he said.
The four were nabbed after police set up a trap after receiving a complaint from an Irvine’s Zimbabwe transport manager who queried the difference in the toll vouchers his drivers were getting from the Skyline tollgate.
The Irvine’s Zimbabwe official had noted that his drivers were bringing vouchers that belonged to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority which ceased manning tollgates in October last year.
Acting on the tip-off, police sent a team of plainclothes officers on several occasions and they, too, were issued with the expired vouchers.
There were also instances when the quartet is said to have failed to issue the toll vouchers despite having received payment from the undercover police details.
A report was then made at Waterfalls Police Station on March 15, leading to the arrest of the suspects on the same day.
Police believe the arrest of the four will bring “sanity” to the Skyline tollgate.
“The arrest will restore order at the tollgate as the accused persons have been defrauding the Government on revenue collection.
“It’s high time the tollgate be computerised to counter such anomalies. Proper monitoring mechanisms are very necessary to maximise Government revenue collection,” reads a comment on case number C.R. 295-03-14.
