Police officer killed by fellow cop: CID Boss in hot soup as dangerous constable shoots, kills another one along Masvingo highway

MASVINGO — In a case that has laid bare the catastrophic failures within the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) chain of command, a high-ranking Criminal Investigations Department (CID) official has been hauled before the courts. Inspector Edward Chiweta, the Officer-In-Charge of Gutu CID, is facing serious allegations of negligence after he reportedly deployed a junior officer who was already on suspension for a separate murder charge. That junior officer, Constable Farai Simudzirai, allegedly went on to shoot and kill an innocent civilian during a high-speed chase in an unmarked vehicle along the notorious Beitbridge-Masvingo highway.

The unfolding scandal has cast a harsh light on the internal discipline of the police force, particularly within the Masvingo and Mwenezi districts. Inspector Chiweta, who was recently transferred from Mwenezi to Gutu, appeared before Magistrate Misheck Brian Munyaradzi in Masvingo. He stands accused of contravening Paragraph 34 of the Schedule to the Police Act Chapter 11:10, as read with Sections 29A and 34 of the same Act. The charge specifically cites “omitting or neglecting to perform any duty, or performing any duty in an improper manner.”

At the heart of the prosecution’s case is the decision made by Chiweta on March 16, 2025. On that day, he allegedly authorised the deployment of 43-year-old Constable Farai Simudzirai to active duty. This decision was made despite Simudzirai being under a formal suspension order issued on July 23, 2024, by the then Officer Commanding Masvingo Province, Commissioner Crispen Charumbira. Simudzirai had been sidelined following a gruesome incident in Karoi on April 21, 2024, where he was accused of murdering a fellow police officer, Constable Privilege Hove.

The state contends that Inspector Chiweta was fully aware of Simudzirai’s status. Evidence presented suggests that Chiweta was a direct witness when Simudzirai was served with his suspension papers by Chief Superintendent Tshuma. Under the Police Act, any officer facing a criminal case must be removed from active duty until the matter is legally finalised. Furthermore, the prosecution argues that a junior commander like Chiweta has no legal authority to overrule or ignore a suspension directive issued by a Commissioner.

The consequences of this administrative lapse proved fatal on the night of March 16, 2025. Simudzirai, joined by another officer named Simbabure, was patrolling the Rutenga area of Mwenezi in an unmarked vehicle. They encountered a Mazda B1800 pickup truck carrying several passengers who were returning from a family function. When the officers attempted to flag down the vehicle, the driver did not stop. In a region where highway robberies are a frequent and terrifying reality, the sight of an unmarked car attempting to intercept a private vehicle at night is often perceived as a lethal threat rather than a legitimate police action.

Fearing they were being targeted by criminals, the driver of the Mazda accelerated in a desperate bid to escape. It was during this high-speed pursuit that Constable Simudzirai allegedly opened fire on the fleeing pickup. One of the bullets struck 24-year-old Shadreck Madzore, who was sitting in the back of the vehicle. The chase only ended when the Mazda reached a formal police roadblock, where the occupants sought protection. It was only then that the horrific truth was discovered: Madzore had been shot dead.

This tragic incident is not an isolated case of police misconduct but rather a symptom of a deeper malaise within the ZRP. Investigative research into recent incidents reveals a pattern of “unmarked vehicle” operations that frequently end in tragedy. Just months before this shooting, human rights reports highlighted several instances of “extrajudicial killings” and arbitrary use of force by state agents in Zimbabwe. The Masvingo-Beitbridge highway, a vital artery for trade and travel, has become a flashpoint for such encounters, where the line between law enforcement and lawlessness often appears blurred to the public.

“A Police officer who has a criminal case at the courts is suspended from active duty until the matter is finalized,” the court heard during the initial proceedings. This fundamental rule, designed to protect the public from potentially dangerous individuals within the force, appears to have been flagrantly ignored by Inspector Chiweta.

The background of Constable Simudzirai makes the decision to deploy him even more baffling. His first murder charge involved the death of Constable Privilege Hove in Karoi. Reports from April 2024 suggest that Hove was stabbed in the stomach during a beer binge, an act of violence that led to Simudzirai being denied bail initially. Although he eventually secured his freedom pending trial, the conditions of his suspension were clear: he was not to represent the police force or carry a firearm in any official capacity.

The atmosphere in Masvingo remains tense as the community grapples with the reality that a man accused of killing a colleague was put back on the streets with a gun, only to take another life. This sentiment is further exacerbated by other recent violent crimes in the province. In April 2026, two detectives were shot dead by an armed robber in Zaka, while another notorious criminal was recently sentenced to 185 years for a string of robberies. Such a high-crime environment makes the use of unmarked vehicles by police even more hazardous, as civilians are naturally inclined to flee from any unidentified armed group.

Witnesses set to testify against Inspector Chiweta include the very men he deployed—Simudzirai and Simbabure—as well as Chief Superintendent Tshuma, who can confirm Chiweta’s knowledge of the suspension. The legal battle ahead will likely focus on whether Chiweta’s actions were a result of simple administrative oversight or a more deliberate attempt to bypass the chain of command to keep a “dangerous police ally” in the field.

As the case continues, the ZRP faces mounting pressure to reform its disciplinary procedures and ensure that officers facing serious criminal charges are strictly monitored. The death of Shadreck Madzore, a young man with his whole life ahead of him, serves as a grim reminder of the human cost of institutional negligence. For the family of the deceased, who were simply returning from a celebratory gathering, the trauma of that night on the highway will never truly fade.

The Masvingo Magistrates Court is expected to hear further testimony in the coming weeks. For now, Inspector Chiweta remains in the spotlight, a commander whose alleged failure to follow the most basic of police regulations has led to a second unnecessary death at the hands of a man who should never have been wearing a uniform.

The investigation continues to probe whether other senior officers in the Masvingo province were aware of Simudzirai’s deployment or if Inspector Chiweta acted entirely on his own volition. The outcome of this trial could set a significant precedent for how commanding officers are held accountable for the actions of their subordinates in Zimbabwe.