A Mutare man, Garikai Nyamungunda, has found himself at the centre of a criminal investigation after allegedly impersonating an anti-corruption official in a bid to evade municipal parking fines. What began as a routine parking violation has now spiraled into a full-blown legal case involving false identity, forgery, and obstruction of municipal law enforcement.
The saga began on May 6, 2025, when Mutare Municipal Police clamped Nyamungunda’s Toyota Wish for violating local parking regulations. Rather than pay the standard penalty, Nyamungunda reportedly approached a municipal officer and claimed he was a member of the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC)—a powerful state agency tasked with combating corruption across the country.
To support his story, he produced a counterfeit identification card bearing the logo of the Southern Africa Regional Anti-Corruption Organisation (SARACO)—a fictitious or unauthorized body meant to lend credibility to his deception. The ID falsely suggested he was operating in an official anti-corruption capacity.
Despite initial skepticism from the municipal officer, Nyamungunda escalated the matter to a Municipal Police Inspector, where he repeated the same story. Convinced by the fabricated credentials and his confident demeanor, the Inspector released the clamped vehicle without enforcing the fine.What might have been the end of a successful con instead emboldened Mutare manto attempt the ruse again.
Mutare Man Arrested for Posing as Anti-Corruption Official to Evade Parking Fines
On June 12, 2025, his vehicle was once again clamped, this time for failing to display a valid parking disc. Undeterred by the previous incident, Mutare man allegedly approached the officers and presented the same fraudulent identification card. He once again insisted he was on official duty with ZACC and should not be subjected to routine municipal penalties.
However, this time the story didn’t stick.
The Municipal Inspector he approached grew suspicious and decided to escalate the matter to a Principal Security Officer, who in turn contacted ZACC directly for verification. Upon checking, ZACC confirmed that Nyamungunda was not affiliated with the commission in any way.
Following the confirmation, Nyamungunda was promptly arrested and handed over to local police. He now faces a litany of charges, including impersonating a public official, forgery, obstructing the duties of a public officer, and fraudulently influencing municipal operations.
Legal experts warn that the impersonation of law enforcement or anti-corruption officials is a serious offence under Zimbabwean law. If convicted, Mutare man could face substantial fines and imprisonment, given the gravity of undermining public trust in institutions tasked with accountability and transparency.
In response to the incident, ZACC released a statement warning the public against impersonation of their officials. “Any use of ZACC’s name, logo, or authority by unauthorized individuals is a criminal offence and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” the statement read. “We urge the public and all municipal authorities to verify credentials and remain alert to such misconduct.”
The Mutare City Council also weighed in, with the municipal police department calling for enhanced training of its officers to detect forged credentials and identify fraudulent behavior. Officials acknowledged that gaps in verification had enabled Nyamungunda to exploit the system on his first attempt.
The case has sparked public debate in Mutare and beyond, with many residents calling for tighter regulations and procedures to curb abuse of official titles and reduce corruption. Some have even suggested that this incident highlights broader vulnerabilities in local governance structures and the need for more robust identity verification protocols.
Meanwhile, Mutare man remains in police custody as investigations continue. Authorities are reportedly looking into whether he may have used the same fraudulent credentials in other areas or attempted similar schemes elsewhere.
As the case unfolds, it serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of impersonating law enforcement or anti-corruption officials, and a stark reminder of the need for diligence and integrity in all public dealings.
