Harare cops jailed three years for taking US$5 bribes

Two police officers tasked with enforcing the law instead took bribes to allow illegal sand poaching near an economic development zone—and will now serve time behind bars.

Dennis Tafadzwa Chivaku and Sharon Madondo were each sentenced to four years in prison for criminal abuse of duty, with one year suspended. They will serve three years effectively.

The pair were deployed at a checkpoint near Sunway City Special Economic Zone when they began soliciting bribes from truck drivers illegally extracting sand from the area. Motorists were reportedly charged US$5 per vehicle to pass without interference.

After receiving tip-offs, authorities launched a sting operation that caught the officers red-handed accepting bribes.

Following a full trial at the Harare Magistrates’ Court, Chivaku and Madondo were found guilty. Prosecutors said the conviction sends a strong signal that corruption within law enforcement will not be tolerated.

“This case sends a clear message,” the National Prosecuting Authority said in a statement. “Accountability and integrity remain central to the criminal justice delivery system.”