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A POLICEWOMAN from Bulawayo has been fined $100 or 30 days in prison for using another person’s identity card to buy and register a cellphone line which she later used to send messages to her superior.Constable Rangarirai Chipunza (34) stationed at ZRP Stops at Ross Camp, was convicted on her own plea of guilty by Bulawayo provincial magistrate Mr Abednico Ndebele.
She was being charged under the National Registration Act, which prohibits possessing or using another person’s identity documents.
Chipunza took an ID card belonging to Ms Gloria Thubelihle Dube from the lost and found property and used it to buy an Econet line which she went on to register using that name.
She went on to send insulting messages to the Officer Commanding Police in Bulawayo Province, Senior Assistant Commissioner Stephen Mutamba.
However, the messages were not produced in court as Chipunza was only charged with possessing and using another person’s ID.
Chipunza was on duty early this month at Ross Camp’s main gate when she took Ms Dube’s ID.
After sending the messages to Snr Asst Comm Mutamba, Chipunza went on to phone her younger sister using the same number.
Investigations led the police to her younger sister who implicated her, leading to her arrest.
Asked why she sent insulting messages to Snr Asst Comm Mutamba, Chipunza said she wanted to alert and warn him about an impending protest by members of the force who had not been paid for their services during the 31 July harmonised elections.
Chipunza told the court that “a lot of things were being said” about her boss by her colleagues and she decided to alert him anonymously by sending him the messages.
Mr Kudakwashe Jaravaza appeared for the State.
Online Reporter
Londile Moyo