A simmering shareholding dispute over Harare’s popular Cosmopolitan Restaurant and Bar has taken a new turn after the Independent Complaints Commission (ICC) was asked to investigate allegations that the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has been drawn into a private business fallout.
The conflict involves business partners Ms Wenjing Cao, also known as Vicky, and Ms Yuxin Zhang, who are locked in a 50:50 ownership dispute over the establishment.
Cao, through her lawyers, Chimwamurombe Legal Practice, has lodged a formal complaint with the ICC, alleging that officers from Five Avenue Police Station acted improperly and outside their jurisdiction, allegedly harassing her at the instigation of Zhang.
In a letter dated March 28, 2026, copied to the Commissioner-General of Police and the Prosecutor-General, Cao’s legal team claims the police are being used to exert pressure in negotiations surrounding the dissolution of the business.
“Ms Zhang has sought to compel the police to arrest our client, not for legitimate criminal reasons, but as a tactic to gain leverage in negotiations regarding the dissolution of their business,” the lawyers wrote.
They further argued that such actions amount to an abuse of authority and undermine the credibility of civil dispute resolution mechanisms.
The dispute reportedly escalated after Cao obtained a spoliation order allowing her to remain in occupation of the premises.
Sources say tensions began when Zhang allegedly attempted to abruptly halt operations without a formal buyout, citing an alleged breach of contract.
Following the court order, Zhang is also accused of introducing measures viewed as disruptive, including requiring patrons to record their names and contact details before being served a move that has reportedly drawn backlash from some customers.
“It is unfair and intrusive to take personal details at a bar,” one patron complained.
Cao alleges that whenever she challenges Zhang over the disruptions, officers from Avondale Police Station are called in to arrest her.
However, she claims that when she reports interference with business operations, she is told the matter is civil and should be handled through the courts.
In what appears to be a classic case of legal “tit-for-tat,” Ms Zhang has reportedly responded with her own letter to the Police Commissioner after learning that Cao had filed a complaint with the ICC.
The matter remains unresolved, with the ICC expected to determine whether police have been improperly drawn into a dispute rooted in a boardroom power struggle.