A seventh police officer from Borrowdale Police Station in Harare has appeared in court over the alleged armed raid on a Chinese businessman's home, The Herald and 263Chat report. The station's acting officer-in-charge has also appeared in court, accused of trying to stop the businessman's complaint from being recorded.

Phibion Musadha, 45, appeared before Harare regional magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa charged with robbery and criminal abuse of duty, according to The Herald. He was granted US$200 bail, The Herald reported, and ordered to live at his given address, not to interfere with witnesses and to report once every fortnight to the CID Police Anti-Corruption unit. 263Chat reported that his case was moved to 4 November.

Inspector Farai Gwamure, 51, the acting officer-in-charge at Borrowdale Police Station, appeared before the same magistrate on Wednesday charged with extortion, criminal abuse of duty as a public officer and defeating or obstructing the course of justice. Both outlets reported that he was granted US$200 bail. 263Chat reported that he was arrested on 19 October and will return to court on 4 November.

The Herald reported that Gwamure denies the allegations. Neither accused has yet entered a formal plea, and the allegations have not been tested at trial.

What the State alleges

According to the State's case as reported by both outlets, a 38-year-old Chinese businessman agreed with a woman named Nina Zheng to transport chrome from Zimbabwe to Mozambique. The deal allegedly collapsed when the chrome was offloaded in Mutare instead, and Zheng demanded a refund of US$13,050.

Prosecutors allege that Zheng, who is still at large, enlisted officers from the station to recover the money by force. On 13 October, the group allegedly went to the businessman's Borrowdale home armed with a Mossberg firearm and demanded payment.

The State alleges that the businessman sent his driver to hand over US$3,000 at a service station in Pomona, and then transferred a further US$7,500 into Zheng's bank account. The court heard that Musadha and two other accused officers, Palmer Hotera and Takuranashe Magomba, then allegedly climbed over the wall, entered the house, and handcuffed and assaulted him while demanding the outstanding balance. The group allegedly also demanded another US$1,000, threatening to hand him to immigration authorities for deportation, before taking the cash and leaving.

According to 263Chat, court papers put the value of the property allegedly stolen at US$11,500, of which US$1,000 was recovered.

The alleged cover-up

Prosecutors allege that when the businessman went to Borrowdale Police Station to report the incident, Gwamure tried to stop the complaint from being formally recorded. The State alleges he turned him away, then later called him to his office and handed him US$1,000, made up of US$900 from his pocket and a further US$100, both outlets reported.

263Chat reported that the complaint was eventually recorded on 15 October, and that prosecutors allege Gwamure then conspired with another accused person to falsify an entry in the station's reports book. The Herald separately reported the State's allegation that Gwamure supplied the firearm used in the raid.

The wider case

The Herald reports that Musadha joins five other Borrowdale officers already on remand in connection with the case, including Hotera and Magomba, bringing the number of officers from the station charged over the alleged raid to seven, counting the acting officer-in-charge. All of the accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Zimbo Grapevine will follow the case when it returns to court on 4 November.

Sources: The Herald (Zvikomborero Parafini), 23 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/snowballing-extortion-case-which-has-shaken-borrowdale-police-station-sucks-in-7th-cop/ · The Herald (Zvikomborero Parafini), 22 Oct 2026: https://www.heraldonline.co.zw/us13k-extortion-storm-sucks-in-borrowdale-police-station-chief/ · 263Chat (Kudzaishe Chimonera), 22 Oct 2026: https://www.263chat.com/another-borrowdale-police-officer/ · 263Chat (Tinomudaishe Muzanenhamo), 21 Oct 2026: https://www.263chat.com/police-boss-in-court-over-alleged-cover-up-of-armed-robbery/