Harare woman struggling to repossess crocodile skins from police

A Harare woman who together with a white Masvingo businessman were accused of illegally possessing 52 crocodile skins before the State withdrew charges against them has filed an urgent chamber application with the High Court to repossess the skins.

The State, represented by Thomas Chanakira, applied to withdraw charges against Duncan Wadley (59) and Vimbai Dzingirai, before plea on the basis they were erroneously arrested.

Their licence had been paid for and was being processed at the time of their arrest. Dzingirai and Wadley are prominent small-scale crocodile breeders.

Dzingirai bared all to Nehanda Radio saying she was now struggling to recover the crocodile skins even after suffering a torrid time at the hands of the State that wanted to reprimand her.

It was alleged that Wadley gave Dzingirai 52 crocodile skins to sell and she kept the items in Mabelreign in Harare.

On March 27, detectives from CID Minerals, Flora and Fauna, received information that Dzingirai was in possession of the skins, without a valid permit.

Police went to her home where they searched the house and discovered the skins stashed in white sacks.

Dzingirai was asked to produce a permit, authorising her to be in possession of the skins, and she said her business partner, Wadley was the owner of the skins and she gave them a receipt paid for on the 6th of January proving the existence of a permit. (Hard copies are with the National Parks HQ).

The detectives took the skins to CID Minerals pending the availing of the said permit. Wadley was arrested in Masvingo with police claiming there was no permit

But now that the matter was dismissed by the courts, Dzingirai is struggling to recover the skins.

“Clearly it has become evident they either stole or sold or damaged our skins and they don’t want with them,” fumed Dzingirai.

She filed complaints with three police divisions, the Police Internal Investigations led by Inspector Mukoko, PACU (Police Anti-Corruption Unit) led by Detective Assistant Inspector Lifa and CID HQ led by Det Inspector Ndlovu.

Dzingirai was acquitted on the 24th of May and still no action has been taken about her complaints and she feels “these people are covering up for each other.”

On the 7th of June Dzingirai narrated her ordeal to Nehanda Radio:

“On the 26th of March on a Saturday the day of the by-elections, I heard a hoot of a car at the gate. As I opened the screen to proceed there, I bumped into my landlord’s son and he said I wasn’t to worry attending to it since they were his visitors.

“So I went back locked my screen gate but a while later my landlord’s son came saying those people were there to see me.

“There were four men in total and when I asked for identification only one showed his ID card and it showed a name called Gonzo T who is a detective constable. He said he was stationed at CID Hatfield and they had come to do a search and seizure based on the operation details he was conducting.

“I asked for paperwork to support his claims he said he had none. I then queried who had given him the orders and he said they had come from his Detective Sergeant.

“I sensed something fishy and I refused before I locked my doors. They had come in a blue Honda Fit Registration number, AFF1744 and I refused to get into the car and I resorted to walk.

“On getting there I explained my predicament at the charge office and upon explaining, that is when I was told Hatfield does not have CID, which then confused me. Gonzo T then got into the charge office and a man making a report recognized him then asked him how work was at Southerton.

“I then confronted him over why he was being alleged to be stationed at Southerton yet he had lied to me he came from Hatfield when he forcibly wanted to enter my house.

“He now started changing statements claiming he was stationed at Southerton. Fast forward to a few days later, I had my statement taken at CID Malborough. When I got there I explained everything and after that I was gracefully given police escort to go with me and check if everything was ok.

“These guys who had denied me freedom in my house were still there. On our way almost At Mabelreign Girls High I received a call from one Detective Sgt Kemusi telling me he was from Mines & Minerals Flora & Fauna & he was waiting for me at home.

“We got there I asked for paperwork nothing was produced and they said they are allowed to invoke a certain section of search and seizure without a warrant. I asked for my lawyers to be present they said it wasn’t necessary.

“I then left them talking as police officers & opened the lock to my screen gate which was at the top but I failed to open it as I later discovered another lock had been put on my screen at the bottom to bar me from entering my house.

“I asked who had given them permission to do that on a place I stay and they brushed it off. I asked which section they used to lock my screen they failed to answer Days later after a lot of drama, she said she got to court.

“During vetting after being quizzed they now said we want to focus on “keep” for sale not buying and selling. Clearly it was now evident the police was clutching at straws. We then waited for court.

“I was granted RTGS20 000 bail and I was ordered to keep staying at given address but before they had been talks of the same Officer In Charge wanting my bail to be opposed. What had I really done that warranted such abuse and violations from the police on my freedom?

“As events unfolded my ex was also mentioned in all these shenanigans to have been conniving with my landlady as certain documents were pulled out that he had signed lying that it was on my behalf yet I knew nothing about it & I never gave him power of attorney.

“My only mistake was just getting in bed with a conman. Currently my biggest issue is now the same police refusing to give us back our skins just making us go in circles over nothing.

“On Friday I approached the offices of CID MMFU which are at CVR as I had been called earlier on Tuesday last week by Detective Assistant Inspector Banhu who was the IO to bring the court extract & collect our skins.

“But when I eventually went there on Friday I was told they were at court where they had been tendered in as evidence at the clerk of court.

“On Monday I went to court met with the exhibits officer Detective Sergeant Saruchera as he was already at court with another case & we approached the PP in Charge where it was then said he should bring his records books & they book out the skins.

“When I relayed the message to him he was reluctant & said his bosses wanted an order from the magistrate to release the skins. I had my record pulled from clerk of court & went before the magistrate & explained my predicament but the magistrate then said

“On Tuesday this week I called Detective Sergeant Saruchera who then said he had been involved in an accident & he hadn’t reported for duty. On Wednesday he wasn’t picking up calls until he later returned calls and said he would get back to me after a few minutes.

“A while later, I received a phone call from a lady who called herself the Officer in Charge Crime Mines & Minerals Flora & Fauna and that they couldn’t and wouldn’t release my skins unless they saw an order from the magistrate,” she said.