Police officer fined $35K for threatening to deal with a senior

Martin Muleya
Mirror Correspondent

Mutare – A Police neighbourhood watch member in Mutare has been fined ZWL $35 000 after being found guilty by a magistrate of sending an offensive and threatening message to his superior in violation of the Postal and Telecommunication Act.
Owen Chokera (33) was charged with Offensive or False Telephone message as defined in Section 88 (a) of the Postal and Telecommunication Act Chapter 12:05 and he pleaded guilty to the charge.
He appeared before Mutare Magistrate Prisca Manhibi who sentenced him to four months in prison or a fine of RTGS$35 000.
Chokera is said to have sent a message to Ariberito Mbawa (50), the Officer in Charge Administration at ZRP Mutare Central threatening to come to his office and deal with him over transfers that he had ordered.
He wrote on a WhatsApp group of Police officers that Mbawa was nothing and he (Chokera) actually earned more money than him. He said that he was only in the Police force to serve his country and not that he was desperate for a job.
He described Mbawa’s order as oppressive and not acceptable in a country liberated by ‘our fathers’. He promised to end Mbawa’s reign once he got to the latter’s office. He also promised to see the Officer Commanding Province over the issue.

Prosecutor Sharon Chibvongodze said on September 29, 2022 at Mutare Central, Chokera, who stays at Fourth Street, Mutare sent a telephone message that he knew was grossly offensive in a WhatsApp group called CRLO Mutare Central.
This was after Mbawa directed that all neighbourhood watch members including the accused be redeployed from the CRLO office to the Charge office.
“The accused who is a Police neighbourhood watch member at Mutare Central sent a grossly offensive or threatening character in a WhatsApp group called CRLO Mutare Central PoliCon by saying Mbawa ndiani muno muZimbabwe ndichauyako ndinoona Propol chaivo. Nyika yese ine ma members, chashamisira paCentral chii?
“Tichiuya paya doesn’t mean tinotambura tinotohora mari dzinodarika dzavo but takauya kubatsira nyika. Vanoona vekuitira next week ndichauyako and ndinopedza bhora rose, nyika yamadzibaba edu akarwira nyika,” the Court heard.