By A Correspondent- The Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission has arrested Registrar-General’s Central Registry’s office for allegedly receiving a bribe from a desperate passport applicant.
Detectives from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) pounced on Gloria Mashanda (30) of Warren Park following the botched cash-for-passport deal with Tofara Mapundu, a Namibia-based Zimbabwean.
In a statement, ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure said Mashanda failed to deliver on her undertaking, after which the matter was reported to the authorities. “Sometime in March 2021, the complainant was approached by Tofara Mapundu, a female Zimbabwean who is based in Namibia, to assist her in applying for a Zimbabwean passport,” said Comm Makamure.
“She gave her the passport application form that had already been filled in with her details to submit to passport offices at Makombe Complex, Harare, on her behalf.”
Mashanda charged Mapundu a substantial amount of money which was delivered through an emissary.
“The complainant gave the accused US$318 for passport application and US$110 as the facilitation fee, which is a combined total of US$428, and the passport application form in the name of Tofara Mapundu for passport processing.”
The accused promised that Mapundu’s passport would be processed and ready for collection in a fortnight from the date the accused was given the application form.
After the agreed two-week period lapsed before the passport was delivered, Mashanda started evading the complainant.
“After the expiry of the agreed two-week period, the complainant started making enquiries for Tofara Mapundu’s passport from the accused, but the accused started to be evasive.
“The complainant approached Makombe Complex passport offices to verify whether Mashanda had applied, only to be told that there was no record of her application.
“The accused did not facilitate the passport application in the name of Tofara Mapundu but converted US$428 she was given by the complainant to her use,” added Comm Makamure.
Mashanda appeared in court yesterday and was remanded in custody on May 10.