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Crime and Courts

Zhoya Gets 12 Months Behind Bars Over Abuse of Office

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SA Woman Jailed to Life for Raping Younger Brother

The Harare Magistrates’ Court has jailed Grain Marketing Board (GMB) Aspindale Depot Supply Chain Manager, Obert Safuli Zhoya (58), for criminal abuse of office. He was handed a 24-month sentence, with 12 months suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve an effective year in prison.

The conviction relates to a fraudulent scheme in May 2025, where Zhoya attempted to dispose of 599 bags of Compound D Superfert fertiliser under the pretext that the stock had been written off. The fertiliser, which had been moved from GMB Sadza Depot to Mt Hampden Depot in May 2024, was actually meant for the government’s grain-for-fertiliser swap programme.

Working in collusion with Madamara Investments (Pvt) Ltd, Zhoya sold the consignment for just USD $600 — effectively $1 per 50kg bag — when its true market value was over USD $19,000.

Court papers revealed that he directed GMB clerks and assistants to produce falsified receipts and deposit the proceeds into the parastatal’s account to disguise the transaction as genuine.

The fraud came to light when the Mt Hampden Depot Manager conducted stock verification and discovered that the fertiliser was still in usable condition and that no official disposal records existed. Subsequent investigations confirmed the product was not written off and remained reserved for farmers under the national programme.

Zhoya’s conviction adds to his tainted record. In 2022, while serving as secretary general of the Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) referees committee, he was banned from football activities for five years and fined 20,000 Swiss francs by FIFA. The sanction followed complaints from three female referees who accused him of sexual harassment.

FIFA’s ethics committee ruled that he had “abused his position,” following reports escalated by the ZIFA board to the continental and international football bodies, including CAF and COSAFA. Police only opened a formal investigation into the matter in December 2021.

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Crime and Courts

SA Woman Jailed to Life for Raping Younger Brother

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SA Woman Jailed to Life for Raping Younger Brother

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.

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Crime and Courts

GOKWE MAN SENTENCED 15 YEARS FOR ATTEMPTED RAPE

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Photo Credit: Internet

​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.

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Crime and Courts

Top SA Police Chief Faces R5 Million Bribery Allegation

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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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