MASVINGO - An official with the department of Home Affairs here has been sentenced for demanding a R200 bribe to process an identity document.Chokurombo Madhamara, 34, has been sentenced to prison and 350 hours of community service. Masvingo resident magistrate, Timon Makunde, sentenced Madhamara to 16 months, six of which were suspended for five years on condition that he did not commit a similar offence. The remaining 10 months were suspended on condition that he perform 350 hours of community service for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) during weekends and public holidays.
The state case as presented by the prosecutor, Tafirei Tandirai, was that on October 1, 2009 at Masvingo Registrars office Madhamara, who is employed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, solicited and agreed to accept a bribe to process the documents of Morlet Sakadzo.
It was the states case that Madhamara had been denying Sakadzo the right to get his identity document and later told Sakadzo that she was required to pay him R200 to facilitate the process. Sakadzo handed the money over to Madhamara. However, while he was processing the identity document Sakadzo reported the case to the police who arrested him.