By Rex Mphisa
A Beitbridge police detective has disowned her employer’s X Account in what appears a corrupt attempt to shield two of three people accused of possession of dagga.
To make matters worse, Felistas Tshuma, the police officer, made this declaration in court and oath before Resident Magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba who must have been bemused or left wondering on the integrity of those trusted with the law.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police does not have an “X” account. That is not a genuine post from the ZRP because it does not have Commissioner Paul Nyathi signature,” Tshuma said in her oral sworn statement from the witness stand.
She was testifying in a case where, as a cop attached to “No To Cross Border Crime” and at Bubi they arrested three people namely Leslie Kerryn Zinyemba (28), Jeffery Matata (27) and Shingirirai Mitchel Masocha (24) for unlawful possession of dagga.
Soon after the arrest ZRP issued a statement via its X account reading “The ZRP confirms the arrest of Leslie Kerryn Zinyemba (28), Jeffery Matata (27) and Shingirirai Mitchel Masocha (24) for unlawful possession of dagga. The suspects, who were travelling in a Nissan Note, were intercepted at a police checkpoint in Bubi on 11/04/26.
Upon searching the vehicle, police recovered nine cobs of dagga hidden beneath the front passenger seat.”
Tshuma on Wednesday, in court, disowned that Statement issued by Commissioner Nyathi to shield Matata and Masoch who are not appearing together with Zinyemba.
Under cross examination from Zinyemba’s lawyer Muchihwande Forbes Sithole of Sithole Law Practice Tshuma denied having ever arrested Matata and Masocha and even went on to allege the car belonged to Zinyemba.
Sithole then produced a cop of the statement which she said was not genuine.
Tshuma said on April 11, 2026 at around 0010 hours she was on duty at Bubi security Roadblock in the company of Constables Shonhiwa and Nyamunda when they got a tip off about a blue Nissan Note Registration number AGT 8753 suspected to be carrying dagga.
She said the car arrived with Zinyemba alone and Sithole is saying if the car did not have Matata and Masocha, it was not the same car Zinyemba was riding and his client did not possess any Dagga.
He is now putting Tshuma to the test of her genuineness in the absence of the other two accused persons she is expected to explain why they are not jointly charged.
Sithole also questioned why Tshuma, if she was honest, would disown an X account he opened on his gadget in court and had other updates on cases police wanted the public to know.
The trial continues.
Tawanda Chigavazira is prosecuting.