Matanga ‘sends’ police to ‘terrorise’ Tongogara’s niece over ‘ZACC pursuit’
"Commissioner General Godwin Matanga is facing imminent arrest from ZACC. His docket has already been finalised and he is now waiting to be warned and caution," the source said.
Police Commissioner General Godwin Matanga is reportedly facing ‘imminent’ arrest from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) over graft allegations and he allegedly dispatched the Support Unit to terrorise ‘legal’ miners operating at farm owned by ZACC’s Executive Secretary, Sukai Tongogara in Mt Darwin, Nehanda Radio is reliably informed.
Sukai is the eldest daughter of Michael Tongogara who is the elder brother of the late ZANLA commander Josiah Tongogara.
On Monday, Matanga unlawfully deployed a police unit at a Mount Darwin farm rich in gold deposits belonging to the late hero Josiah Tongogara’s children.
Matanga allegedly deployed the police unit in the guise that he was carrying out an operation to crackdown on illegal artisanal miners.
The unit consigned by Matanga is said to have terrorised licensed artisanal farmers operating on the farm.
Nehanda Radio possesses a letter from Sukai Tongogara’s lawyers where they have summoned Matanga over the eviction of certified miners in Pfura at farm number 644 in Mt Darwin.
“Our instructions are to inquire under what authority members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police are acting in stopping our licenced operations. Our client believes that these are actions of overzealous officers who seem not to have anything to do,” read the letter by Maseko Law Chambers, dated 18 January 2022 copied to Minister of Home Affairs Kazembe Kazembe, Minister of Mines Winston Chitando and Provincial Mining Director – Mashonaland Central Assistant Commissioner J. Simon.
“We have been instructed to request you to remove your officers from our mine within the next 24 hours, failing which we are instructed to approach the court on an urgent basis for relief. This we hope will not be necessary.”
Sources close to Nehanda Radio said “Commissioner General Godwin Matanga is facing imminent arrest from ZACC. His docket has already been finalised and he is now waiting to be warned and cautioned.
They added: “As it stands now, Matanga has sent Support Unit to a farm that belongs to ZACC Executive Secretary Sukai Tongogara in Mt Darwin claiming they are doing operations of chasing small scale miners despite the fact that they hold mining certificates.”
Police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi said the operation was conducted nationwide and not targeting individuals. He refused to comment on the alleged ZACC case against Matanga
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police is conducting a nationwide operation against illegal mining and gold panning activities throughout the country dubbed operation Chikorokoza Ngachipere/ Isitsheketsha Kasiphele and No to Machete Gangs.
“The operation is not confined to Mount Darwin or Mukarardzi areas as alleged. It has nothing to do with individuals or the Commissioner General of Police as claimed. A total of 67 538 panners have been arrested since the operation started in 2021.
“The operation was approved by Cabinet and is fully funded by Treasury. Any information on Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission and Zimbabwe Republic Police bad relationship is dismissed with the contempt it deserves.
“The operation is being coordinated by Officer Commanding Support Unit and will spare no one involved in illegal activities in all the country’s Provinces.
“It has nothing to do with any investigation being conducted by Zimbabwe Anti- Corruption Commission. Above all, deployments on the operation are not being done by the Commissioner General of Police,” Nyathi said.
ZACC spokesperson Commissioner John Makamure told Nehanda Radio: “I am not aware of any imminent arrest of the Commissioner General of Police. I am not aware of any investigations by ZACC targeting the Commissioner General.”
As confirmed by the lawyers the miners were allegedly dragged to Mt Darwin police station where they were then charged for not wearing face masks and surprisingly forced not to carry on with their lawful mining activities.
The sources added this is meant to antagonise Sukai Tongogara and subsequently force her to drop corruption charges ZACC holds against him before President Emmerson Mnangagwa comes back from leave.
“Commissioner General Matanga wants to frustrate the Executive Secretary Madam Sukai Tongogara because he knows that his days are numbered.
“They have made an operation that they are saying will last for two weeks and when you calculate you will see that the operation ends on the 4th of February when President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s leave will be ending the following day.
“So, when the lawyers of Sukai Tongogara got there they noticed that there was no single paperwork to say this is the operation, the reason for the operation or even to notify the claim owners or the farm owners.
“The Support Unit was drawn all the way from Harare to what they call Pfura at farm number 644. This is the farm that belonged to Josiah Tongogara. It is about 1250 hectares.
“So there are a lot of mining claims that were pegged inside by his children including Sukai Tongogara.” Nehanda Radio
