Police are investigating claims that Superintendent Elizabeth Chipfakacha, a well-known policewoman, takes advantage of the business community in Masvingo to obtain security fees.
In an exclusive interview with The Mirror, police spokesman Paul Nyathi confirmed the probes and said they are being run out of the office of Commissioner General Stephen Mutamba.
“No stone will be left unturned in the investigations, and the public will be told what they find,” the statement said.
There are now investigations because of a letter from the Masvingo business community to the Commissioner General on October 4, 2024.
This letter is also in the hands of The Mirror.
The letter said that the business community is sick of Chipfakacha’s alleged constant requests for protection fees, which have hurt businesses and set her up in a way that goes well beyond what a government servant’s salary would cover.
The protest letter also said that she is doing illegal things, like gold mining in the Hillside hills in Masvingo, and that her bosses were told about it but did nothing about it.
The letter asked for an outside look at Chipfakacha and her husband, Eddie Chipfakacha’s lives, who is also a top police officer.
The two are very powerful in Masvingo Central District. Chipfakacha is in charge of operations, and Eddie oversees CID.
The letter also asked that Chipfakacha be sent out of Masvingo Province right away because her actions are hurting business and making the Police look bad.
Business people also wanted to know if she was involved in gold digging and wanted any property she got illegally given back to the state.
Of much concern to the business community is that Chipfakacha reportedly drops names of influential people and top cops when she demands the protection fees.
The letter says that she tells business people she can’t be defeated because she has close ties to former Masvingo Officer-Commanding Chrispen Charumbira and current Commissioner General Stephen Mutamba.
She had worked at the same police station in Masvingo for almost thirty years, which is unusual for a police officer.
The letter said that her impact on the force was bad. She targets junior officers and even loyal high-level officials, who are moved because of her rumours.
When The Mirror called Chipfakacha, she wouldn’t say anything.
He told the reporters, “I don’t talk to the media. You can talk to Inspector Dhewa, who is the Provincial Police Spokesperson.”
“ The charge chief of Police has seen the report against Superintendent Chipfakacha and will investigate it. Right now, thorough reviews are being carried out.
Nyathi wrote to The Mirror on March 5, 2025, and said, “We promise the media and the public that the findings will be made public and no stone will be left unturned.”
The business community wrote, “We, the undersigned members of the Masvingo business community, write to formally lodge a complaint regarding the conduct and prolonged stay of Superintendent Chipfakanya in Masvingo Province.”
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Because he is a top ZRP officer, Chipfakacha has been working for almost 30 years, mostly at Masvingo Provincial and Masvingo District.
Chipfakacha, our superintended, has frequently asked us for protection fees, saying that he will look out for our best interests.
The letter to the Commissioner says, “She brags about her close ties to senior officers, especially Commissioner Charumbira, and says that higher-ups, including Deputy Commissioner General Mutamba support her actions.”
The letter said that Chipfakacha started bribery when she was made Officer-in-Charge of Masvingo Traffic and that she targeted the transport sector.
This alleged scam spread to more types of businesses when she was given more responsibility in the Masvingo District.
“We respectfully request that your office conducts a thorough lifestyle audit of Superintendent Chipfakacha to establish whether her wealth is consistent with her legitimate earnings.
In addition, we ask for an investigation into her involvement in gold panning activities and the extent to which her actions have negatively impacted police operations in the province…,” reads the letter.
The letter says Chipfakacha has built two fancy homes, one in Hillside and one in Rujeko. In addition to mining, there are claims of other business interests.
