Bogus police officer nabbed

Midlands Correspondent
A 31-YEAR-OLD man in Gweru is languishing in remand prison after playing cop in a bid to fleece a local primary school of its cash.
Shakemore Mandanda of House Number 179/1 Mkoba Village 13  last week appeared before Gweru magistrate, Sithembinkosi Ncube to answer charges of impersonating a police officer.

Mandanda pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody to today for continuation of trial.

It is the State case that on 21 February this year, Mandanda who was in civilian attire, approached Wunedze Musiiwa who is employed as a security guard at Takunda Primary School and introduced himself as a police officer stationed at the Police General Headquarters in Harare.

The accused is said to have indicated that he is attached to the anti-corruption unit and demanded to see the head or the deputy head. The school guard then requested Mandanda to produce his police and national identity cards but the accused said he lost both particulars.

Mandanda insisted that he wanted to see the school head or his deputy upon which the security guard accompanied him to the office of the school’s deputy, Phillis Chivarira.

He introduced himself as a police officer.

The deputy head demanded that Mandanda produce his particulars for her to give him audience.

Riled by Chivarira’s resolve Mandanda threw a tantrum demanding a private conversation with the former who quickly enlisted the services of the security guard.

Mandanda was whisked to Nehanda Police Station where it emerged that he was not a member of the police force.

Further investigations by the police led to the recovery of a police uniform which included police riot pair of trousers, police riot jacket, police grey shirt and a police reflective jacket at his house.