By Agencies
Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption investigators have uncovered an alleged US$1 million driver’s licence racket centred on the Vehicle Inspection Department (VID), accusing two officials of manipulating the State’s electronic licensing platform to produce hundreds of licences for applicants who, according to investigators, never qualified to receive them.
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) said the alleged operation enabled the fraudulent issuance of learner’s licences and Certificates of Competency to about 500 people who had neither undergone the mandatory competency examinations nor satisfied the legal requirements prescribed under Zimbabwe’s licensing regime.
The commission arrested Tinotenda Maningi and Chrison Chipanda, both VID data capturer clerks, whom it alleges acted alongside Ebenezzer Zvidza and Emmanuel Mushonga, who remain at large.
“The two allegedly acted in connivance with two other suspects… and manipulated the VID computerised licensing system to fraudulently issue learner’s licenses and Certificates of Competency to approximately 500 individuals who had neither undergone the mandatory competency tests nor met the legal requirements,” ZACC said.
Investigators allege the suspected scheme reached into the department’s digital controls.
According to ZACC, the accused unlawfully accessed electronic user accounts belonging to other VID officers before using those accounts to process and approve fraudulent transactions. The commission said this allegedly concealed the identities of those carrying out the transactions while compromising the integrity of the department’s audit trail.
“Investigations by ZACC further revealed that the accused allegedly unlawfully accessed and manipulated electronic user accounts belonging to other VID officers to process and authorise fraudulent transactions, thereby concealing their identities and compromising audit trails,” the commission said.
The investigation also alleges that official government revenue collection systems were circumvented.
Rather than directing applicants to remit statutory fees through government payment channels, the accused allegedly produced counterfeit official payment receipts falsely reflecting that payments had been made into government accounts.
ZACC said applicants instead allegedly paid bribes ranging from US$200 to more than US$500 for each license processed.
“Instead of directing applicants to pay through official Government channels, the accused allegedly solicited and received bribes ranging from US$200 to over US$500 per applicant,” the commission said.
The commission said the investigation has also identified alleged links beyond the Vehicle Inspection Department.
According to ZACC, the accused allegedly worked with accomplices at the Central Vehicle Registry to facilitate the processing of the fraudulent documents. Investigators also found that a significant number of those who obtained the documents were foreign nationals.
“Investigations also revealed that the accused persons worked with accomplices at the Central Vehicle Registry to facilitate the fraudulent processing of the documents, with a significant number of beneficiaries reportedly being foreign nationals,” ZACC said.
The alleged fraud, valued by investigators at more than US$1 million, has so far resulted in the arrest of only two suspects. Two other suspects remain at large as investigations continue.
Maningi and Chipanda appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court on 30 July 2026 and were remanded in custody until 4 August 2026.
