The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) recently made a significant arrest of eight Civil Registry Department staff who are based at the passport office in Harare. This action was taken following the interception of four Cameroonian nationals at Beitbridge while attempting to cross into South Africa using newly issued Zimbabwean passports.
According to reports from ZimLive, the individuals involved in this illegal activity have been identified as Romeo Shonhiwa, Marrian Roman, Lackmore Chinokokora, Grace Kapungu, Chiedza Hlomani, Maureen Natasha Munemo, Tanaka Magaya, and Edith Moto. They have been charged with criminal abuse of office as public officers for their part in the issuance of these fraudulent passports.
The Cameroonian nationals were found in possession of Zimbabwean passports that had Shona names, despite their inability to speak the language. They were identified on the passports as Emile Chingwaru, Christiana Mhereyenyoka, Yvette Maini, and Marvel Chimbwanda, all supposedly from Mount Darwin.
It is believed that the Cameroonians initially obtained birth certificates in Mount Darwin and then claimed to have lost their identification documents at the registry office in Harare. Subsequently, they were issued replacement passports after paying $170 each for an ordinary passport. Surprisingly, the passports were ready for collection in just two days, as opposed to the usual processing time of seven days.
The police suspect that there is a corrupt racket involving officials from the Registrar General’s office and even cleaners who accepted large sums of money from the Cameroonians to facilitate the illegal issuance of the passports. Additionally, two general workers, Neria Sombi and Trymore Chipanga, employed by Andivest, have been questioned by the authorities after CCTV footage implicated them in assisting the suspects with the passport application process.
In the footage, Tanaka Magaya, one of the accused individuals, was seen receiving money from a woman believed to be part of the corrupt scheme. The Cameroonians have admitted to investigators that they paid $1,500 each for the passports with the intention of using them to enter South Africa and then potentially travel to the United Kingdom.
This alarming situation highlights the need for stricter measures and oversight within government departments to prevent such illegal activities from occurring. The collaboration between corrupt officials and individuals seeking fraudulent passports not only undermines the integrity of the passport issuance process but also poses a security risk to the country.
It is imperative that thorough investigations are conducted, and those involved in this criminal enterprise are held accountable for their actions. The authorities must also take steps to review and improve existing procedures to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.