Tendai Ziso

Norton Legislator Temba Mliswa has written a request to the Zimbabwe Anti – Corruption Commission (ZACC) for the institution to conduct investigations against ZRP Commissioner General Godwin Matanga on allegations of corruption and office abuse that he raised against him.

In his request, Mliswa accused Commissioner Matanga of flouting tender processes in a deal involving 80 operations vehicles that he is alleged to have purchased from Croco Motors on behalf of ZRP where he is said to have doubled the price of the value of the vehicles, a development which prejudiced the police of huge sums of money.

“Sometime in December 2019, C.G Matanga, in the company of his Chief of Staff Officer, Transport and Logistics, Commissioner Hlabo 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 capacity, CG Matanga is then alleged to have instructed Croco Motors to clear eighty (80) 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 ready for collection.

“However, during the routine inspections of Croco Motors, ZIMRA officials discovered various anomalies in the procurement process of the aforementioned vehicles. As an alarm was raised, C.G Matanga is alleged to have hastily made an attempt to institute regulated tender procedures in retrospect, but in vain. Matanga then proceeded to have payment made for fifteen of the eighty ZRP branded vehicles which are currently parked at the ZRP warehouse, Transport Section whilst the remaining sixty five ZRP branded vehicles remained at Croco Motors bonded warehouse in Harare. Matanga is subsequently alleged to have initiated negotiations for condonation papers for the ZRP branded vehicles at the Croco Motors bonded warehouse as a way of concealing his corrupt administrative practices.

“What is further extremely disconcerting to note is that the price paid for these vehicles by the ZRP was approximately double the actual value from other players who were denied the opportunity to tender as the procurement process was flouted and fraught with irregularities whilst prejudicing the ZRP of a huge sum of money in the process” reads the document.
Mliswa also accused Commissioner Matanga of committing acts of fraud in another tender where the latter is alleged to have flouted the prices of vehicles that he wanted to purchase for Chief Superintendents and Assistant Commissioners.

“In another incident, Matanga is alleged to have approached Scanlink with the intention of purchasing Command vehicles for Chief Superintendents and Assistant Commissioners at a cost of approximately USD 43 000 each for Chief Superintendents and USD66 000 for Assistant Commissioners. The total number of vehicles is yet to be verified. Once again acting in connivance with Commissioner Hlabiso and the time with Scanlink representatives, the values of the aforementioned vehicles were inflated two fold at the behest of Matanga.

“Such an allegation against CG Matanga would appear not to be new, as during his tenure as the Deputy Commissioner General, Administration during the CG Chihuri era. Matanga is alleged to have sourced goods and services from personally known friends and acquaintances for self-aggrandisement. I further have it on good authority that Matanga is the recipient of five residential stands at the Sandton development near Westgate in Harare, obtained through allegedly corrupt means through one, Felix Munyaradzi. Furthermore, it is also believed that Matanga is the beneficiary of further stands through the then Mayor of Harare, Hebert Gomba. As a result, an investigation into these allegations is necessary,” the statement reads.

Commissioner Matanga is also accused of working with Delish Nguwaya, the Director of the Special Anti-Corruption Unit, Thabani Mpofu and members of the Magistrates court to solicit bribes from those who would have been arrested, and release them from prison once they receive the bribes.

When contacted for a comment, ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure said he is not aware of the request by Mliswa. But the Norton Legislator told this publication that he sent the request yesterday to ZACC Chairperson, Justice Loice Matanda Moyo.

“Yes, I wrote a request to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission for them to investigate corruption allegations against Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga. I have since sent the request yesterday to the Chairperson of ZACC,” he said.

This is not the first time that the Comissioner General’s name has been associated with allegations of office abuse. Last year in December, Commissioner Matanga was fingered together with ex police bosses Vusimuzi Ncube and Robert Tendero Masuku for allegedly abusing state funds to service their personal cars at Zimoco.