The Zimbabwe Republic Police has been accused of targeting and arresting individuals who commit petty crimes while ignoring “big fish” who are robbing the country of large amounts of money.
While this opinion is not new, it was recently triggered by a police report on the arrest of one Natty Jawi for illegal possession of dagga/mbanje/marijuana/Chamba. Reads the report:
On 30/08/22, ZRP Karoi swiftly acted on a tip-off and arrested Natty Jawi (25) for unlawful possession of dagga. The suspect, who was aboard a Bulawayo-bound bus, was searched, leading to the recovery of 8.64kgs of dagga in a sack stashed in a monarchy.
Some members of the public who responded to the report said Jawi was arrested for a petty crime and was likely to be jailed while those accused of stealing millions of dollars are still roaming around. Said Tsungirirai Valerie @Tsungiriraival3:
Mungamusungirawo (you arrest him for illegal possession of) 8.64 kgs ko Wadyajena angosiwa wani (was released). Let the man go free please.
Justice Mayor Wadyajena, a ZANU PF Member of Parliament (MP) for Gokwe-Nembudziya was last week arrested and accused of fraud involving US$5.8 million. He only spent two nights in prison before he was granted bail. ZACC seized 22 of his trucks pending finalisation of the case. The matter is still in the courts.
Richard bhunu @BhunuRichard said, “Ma big fish anechimuti haaende kujeri” (elites are not being jailed).
Lacto @CaptainWamba said, “8.64 kgs of dagga and the police make noise about it. Rushwaya was caught trying to smuggle 6.0kgs of 99.9% pure gold but was acquitted of all the charges. Vanhu imi modherera (you’re disrespectful).
Henrietta Rushwaya, the president of the Zimbabwe Miners Federation, was arrested at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport on October 26, 2020, just before boarding a plane to Dubai with a handbag concealing 6kg of purified gold worth US$333 000 at the time. She was this year acquitted of the charges.