via “Zimra boss lied, cops don’t get $7 million from roadblocks” June 26, 2014
POLICE yesterday reacted angrily to claims by Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) commissioner-general Gershem Pasi that the law-enforcement agents were collecting and retaining between $3 million and $7 million per month at roadblocks, describing the claims as false.
In a statement, Police Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said Pasi’s “utterance is a big falsehood which is intended to whip public emotions against police in pursuance of an obvious agenda”.
Pasi on Monday told Parliament that the police and Zimbabwe National Roads Authority (Zinara) were supposed to hand over all the money they collected to Treasury, adding that the current arrangement where the two institutions kept the money was “susceptible to abuse”.
But Charamba said the police’s decision to retain money collected through spot fines for traffic offences had been authorised by Treasury.
“The Treasury authority has directed us to retain spot fines for traffic offences only, while all other fines for various offences are going straight into the fiscus. Gershem Pasi is ignorant that the accounts are also tabled before Parliament and all the money collected by the police under the retention scheme is subject to external and internal audit by relevant authorities in government just like anybody else (sic).”
She added: “Police officers on tour of duty away from their homes are given travelling and subsistence allowances just like any other government employee who is away on duty from their normal work stations. No single cent goes into any police officers’ personal pocket.”
Charamba accused Pasi of attempting to divert public attention from his “failures” to meet government revenue targets by blaming the police.
“Pasi is given a task by government which he is failing to perform, hence his blame to cushion his failure. The monthly retentions have never exceeded $1 million per month and not the dream figures of Gershem Pasi.
“In any case, not all vehicles and drivers are subject to fines except those offenders and the figures fluctuate on a monthly basis. It is surprising that the Zimbabwe Republic Police is not the only department on retention scheme as several departments are also operating the same scheme. Pasi and his Zimra are on the retention scheme and were on the forefront before the Zimbabwe Republic Police even started,” she said.
COMMENTS
“No single cent goes into any police officers personal pocket” ??????? Where does she come from one asks, the moon??? I personally must have parted with near on $1000-00 in the last 5 years of which I can guarantee ended up in “personal pockets” There is not one police officer in the country who will refuse your cash they are drawn to the sight of flashing USD like insects to a flashing light , brainless morons that they are all of them.
There is absolutely no law in Zimbabwe. The Treasury boss is absolutely correct. The ZRP cannot act like a company. They are civil servants and as such that particular department should not be encouraged to meet targets where revenue collection is concerned. Say for instance no one committed any traffic violations for that month they should be in a position to rest easy knowing that all their needs are accounted for in a budget. This is highly irregular and makes the Police charge even the innocent just to make money for themselves and the department. Their target should be reducing road accidents and reducing the number of cars that are not roadworthy from the roads.
This retention thing for ZIP is now being totally abused and must be stopped forthwith. It now being used as a fundraising for the police fat cats. All the Police officers assigned to perform road traffic duties are given targets on a daily basis and as long as the target has not been yet been achieved, almost every driver passing through will certainly be fined for whatever most trivial offence to make up for the target. As if that was not enough, the road traffic act is being am mended every night to the police to so as make money from the unsuspecting motorists. I have never heard of any situation where police officers are given targets of how criminals they should arrest every day. Motorists are now being fined for a fused headlight bulb at 1000hrs in the morning and wipers that are not working when there is no rain. These spot fines must be stopped alltogether.
It was a dark day when some bright spark in Government made every Tom Dick and Chihuri a tax collector.
Why can’t they go back to how taxes where collected in 1980? Councils had money,individuals paid for services,books where audited periodically and Ministers where accountable (maybe not)and we had lights in the streets.
Everybody knows that ZRP is a criminal organisation. The road blocks are set up to rob the honest citizens and for no other reason. To try and say otherwise is to add insult to injury.
Such a despicable law enforcement agency. If they didn’t get $7m what did they get? A million dollars a month is no small change. What have they achieved with it?
I was left alone in the office of the Officer in charge at Makuti Police station. That station alone was taking in $500,000 per month. Lies Charamba, the amount is far higher than Pasi is saying.
every civil servant is corrupt! ZIMRA and ZRP are the worst!
Of course he lied……’we are taking in $8 million from roadblocks.”
True…. she is lying ZRP makes more that amount echoed by PASI.
$7000000.00 per year = $19178.00 per day @ $10.00 per fine = 1917 “offences” per day over estimated potential 100 roadblocks countrywide = 19 motorists captured per roadblock per day….NO I THINK THE AMOUNT PASI IS TALKING ABOUT IS AN UNDERESTIMATE AND HE WANTS SOME OF IT…
Zimra yes failed to meet the target, how can they meet the target when Pasi is getting nearly $6 million in salary and benefits, his other Executives Chiradza and partners each getting about a 3rd of that that, that means executive pockets close to 30 million yearly.
Charity’s response is full of anger. It sales her out! Just park by any roadblock for an hour and see! ZRP is making a killing. $7m is a gross understatement. I am waiting for a day when public workers will be required to declare their income and wealth. by SVOSVE