Police fleet grinds to a halt amid allegations of corruption

0cm 0pt”>

BULAWAYO – More than half of the police vehicle fleet in Bulawayo has been grounded for the past two weeks due to “fuel shortages”, as three senior police officers in charge of the province are said to be diverting the precious liquid meant for police vehicles to their private use.

According to sources within the Bulawayo police headquarters, the province’s officer commanding, Senior Assistant Commissioner Lee Muchemwa, and two of his three deputies, Assistant Commissioners Crowd Chirenje and Cornelius Muzeza, have implemented stringent rules for the release of fuel to police vehicles, as they divert most of it to their farms or their personal fleet.

“The situation on the ground is bad I tell you. We have stations being expected to perform miracles by attending scenes speedily and patrolling their areas, yet they are being denied access to government fuel because it has been diverted by some greedy yet powerful individuals. For example, Mzilikazi, Bulawayo Central, Hillside and Western Commonage are hardest hit by burglaries and armed robberies, but are not given a chance to fight these crimes as their bosses have diverted the fuel for their own greedy use,” said an Inspector based in the province.

The sources said that Muzeza, in charge of administration in the province, who owns a farm in Masvingo given to him by the government through its controversial land reform programme in 2000, had set up stringent rules requiring police vehicles to be given 10 litres every two days. They alleged he had commandeered the bulk of the fuel to his farm.

“Every week, you see his driver carrying two drums of fuel in a Mitsubishi pick-up vehicle to his rural home, where it is being used in tractors to plough the farm, while the organisation is suffering. Muchemwa is doing nothing because he is also doing the same at his farm. Chirenje is using the fuel in his fleet of commuter omnibuses that operate in the city. They seem not to care about the crime situation in the city,” said another source.

Muzeza and Muchemwa declined to comment, saying they did not speak to the press, while Chirenje could not be reached. Police deputy national spokesman, Chief Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka, said it was not organisational policy that those with farms should use government fuel to till them.

“I have not yet heard about that but if it is happening, then it is bad. It is not allowed to divert organisational resources for one’s personal use and it is a criminal offence. I cannot say that anything will happen to the said officers because I am not sure if what you heard is really true, but the Commissioner will surely act accordingly if it is reported and found to be true,” he said.