Crime and Courts
Harare Man in Court Over Alleged US$150,000 Corporate Fraud
A Harare resident, Lewis Matutu, appeared in court yesterday after being implicated in a fraud case involving US$150,000 linked to a mining company. Matutu, along with co-accused Blessing Kusangaya, Tafadzwa Kusangaya, Muzimba Muhamba, Chikwasha Muhamba, and Sibanengi Ncube, all pleaded not guilty before Harare regional magistrate Noel Mupeyiwa.
The complainant, Joseph Evurath Sibanda, is a director and shareholder of Shusib Investments Private Limited. According to the State, Sibanda and his relative Lyton Shumba registered the company in 2012 to conduct business in industrial, mining, and domestic hardware sectors. The company was incorporated under registration number 6727/12.
At the time of registration, the firm had two directors — Sibanda and Shumba — and was issued 2,000 ordinary shares. Of these, 1,998 shares were held by the company, with Sibanda and Shumba each holding one fully paid share.
Sibanda later shifted focus to mining and sought exploration rights in the Shamva/Mufurudzi area from the Department of Parks and Wildlife. The department granted permission under the understanding that a 25-year lease would be issued, and it would receive a 15% royalty once operations began.
To support youth empowerment, Sibanda and Shumba brought in young people, including Matutu and his associates, who were subsequently made company directors. A youth-representative company, Pambili Investments Corporation, was also involved and given 240 shares.
Operations began with limestone mining, but as time went on, Sibanda remained the only active party on-site, continuing mine development largely on his own.
The State alleges that in 2018, Matutu and his associates devised a plan to unlawfully acquire shares in Shusib Investments. They allegedly created backdated company records — annual returns from 2014 to 2018 — and forged signatures of both Sibanda and Shumba to reflect changes in the company’s ownership and management structure.
These documents, filed with the Registrar of Companies, allegedly listed Matutu and the others as majority shareholders and directors, despite no official approval from the legitimate stakeholders.
The alleged fraud surfaced on September 30 when Sibanda was contacted by the Department of Parks and Wildlife, which informed him that Matutu had instructed them to halt all mining activities based on an apparent shareholder agreement to sell the claim. The department requested a meeting with a representative from Shusib Investments.
Furthermore, Matutu allegedly used the fraudulently obtained shares to attend an Annual General Meeting on November 19, where he is said to have removed Sibanda from the company’s directorship and changed its official address.
Sibanda claims he suffered financial losses amounting to US$150,000 due to these actions.
In court, the accused denied any wrongdoing, asserting that no forgeries were made and that they are legitimate directors of Shusib Investments, except for Ncube, who they said serves as company secretary.
The trial is scheduled to continue today.
Madadeni, KwaZulu-Natal – A 28-year-old woman from Osizweni near Newcastle has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Madadeni Regional Court for the repeated rape of her 8-year-old biological brother.
The court imposed an additional five-year sentence for exposing the child to p@rnography.
The abuse took place at the family home in Osizweni, where the siblings lived with their mother. The woman pleaded guilty to the charges.
Authorities said the case came to light in 2024 after the boy attended a school awareness programme that encouraged learners to speak out about abuse.
In court, the prosecution highlighted the breach of trust, noting her role as an older sibling. The boy’s mother testified about the negative impact the abuse had on his behaviour.
The convicted woman has been listed on the National Register for S*x Offenders and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
A 35-year-old man from Village Zebediah under Chief Njelele has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the attempted rape of a minor.
The Gokwe Regional Magistrates’ Court convicted Kupakwashe Hore following an incident that occurred earlier this month.
The court heard that on April 5, 2026, at approximately 09:00 hours, Hore arrived at a local homestead and took the complainant away to a nearby field. The victim is a young girl aged between four and five years.
While in the field, the offender undressed the child and lowered his own trousers. A local villager arrived at the scene just in time to intervene, pushing Hore away and rescuing the girl.
The witness then took the child back to her mother.
A formal report was promptly filed at ZRP Gokwe. The victim was subsequently referred to Gokwe Hospital for a medical examination to assess any harm.
In a statement following the sentencing, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) emphasized the importance of the ruling.
“The conviction and sentence reflect the gravity of sexual violence and the commitment of the NPAZ to ensure that those who act unlawfully face the full might of the law,” the authority stated.
The NPAZ further noted that the safety and dignity of children within Zimbabwean communities remain paramount to the justice system.
South Africa’s National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, has been accused of receiving a R5 million bribe from businessman and football administrator Bobby Motaung.
The allegations were made on Sunday by suspended Mpumalanga Police Commissioner Daphney Manamela during a media briefing held in Mbombela.
Manamela alleged that the payment reportedly shared with Major General Botsotso Moukangwe was intended to block her return to office and halt the reopening of fraud and corruption investigations linked to Motaung.
The cases relate to a controversial tender involving the construction of Mbombela Stadium.
She further linked the matter to the 2010 killing of whistleblower Jimmy Mohlala, who had exposed alleged irregularities in the stadium project.
According to Manamela, purported confessions from Moukangwe support her claims.
Responding to the allegations, police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe described them as serious and confirmed that they will be subjected to formal investigation.
As of now, neither Masemola nor Motaung has issued a public response. The claims have raised fresh concerns about accountability and integrity within the South African Police Service.
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