In a clip being circulated on social media, the officer tells the occupants, who are clearly foreigners, that he will impound their vehicle.
“I want the money for another fire extinguisher. You have got one fire extinguisher so I need one more,” the cop says.
Watch the video below.
It’s not clear when the clip was filmed. It was posted on Wednesday to Twitter, where it’s already had nearly 800 views.
Under Zimbabwe’s road regulations, vehicles need to have one properly-secured fire extinguisher which must also be serviceable. Police often interpret this to mean that the drivers must prove the extinguisher was serviced within the last six months or face a fine.
Deputy Home Affairs Minister Obedingwa Mguni denied in parliament that police stations have to raise a targeted amount of fines per day, the Daily News reported this week. But the creativity with which officers invent new offences makes some Zimbabweans very suspicious.
In contrast, a traffic cop from Mozambique who was filmed extorting R200 from South African tourists in December was arrested, suspended from duty and had criminal and disciplinary proceedings instituted against him. The weekly Verdade said at the end of December that officer Jose Soares initially demanded R8 000.
Post published in: Featured