Former Norton MP Temba Mliswa has made serious allegations of corruption against senior government and police officials in Mashonaland West Province, including Minister of State Marian Chombo and Provincial Police Commander Commissioner T. Nyazema.
In a public statement, Mliswa claimed the officials are at the centre of an illicit network involved in land scams, illegal mining, and the degradation of protected wildlife areas. He alleged the group operates with impunity, frequently invoking President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s name to shield themselves from accountability.
“They boast that they were sent by the President and claim that nothing can be done to them,” Mliswa said, urging law enforcement and anti-corruption bodies to launch investigations.
One of the key accusations centres on the alleged reversal of approved land allocations. Mliswa claims Minister Chombo removed legitimate beneficiaries from a land programme and replaced them with individuals who had paid bribes.
“A case in point is a land program in Mash West that was reversed under shady circumstances. Hon. Chombo allegedly withdrew allocated names and replaced them with those who paid her. I have documentary evidence to support these claims,” he said.
He warned Lands Minister Anxious Masuka that his inaction could associate him with the scandal, as those involved continue to name-drop to legitimise illegal activity.
Mliswa further alleged that Chombo, alongside senior police officers including Superintendent Kezias Karuru and Commissioner Nyazema, is part of a mining syndicate operating in a protected conservancy. He claimed that heavy machinery is damaging the local environment and wildlife, drawing parallels with previous mining threats in Mavuradona and Hwange National Parks.
He also said that the group approached Hurungwe Rural District Council CEO Luke Kalavina claiming to have authorisation from the President’s office—a claim Mliswa strongly refuted.
“Knowing the President, I don’t believe he would ever sanction such reckless actions. This must be investigated to reveal the truth,” he said.
The allegations have renewed public pressure for transparency in government and greater protection of Zimbabwe’s natural heritage.
Minister Chombo and the police officials named in the statement have not yet publicly responded to the claims.
