Innocent Chishumba, who allegedly impersonated businessman Nyasha Tagwirei, appeared in court recently on charges of theft and fraud.
When he appeared before Magistrate Dennis Mangosi, he was not required to enter a plea and was remanded in custody until last Monday, for bail consideration.
Chishumba’s deceit not only targeted individuals seeking to exchange their local ZiG currency for US dollars, but also extended to his former girlfriend, Anyway Mazoe, a teacher at Kwayedza High School in Kadoma.
As detailed in court documents, Chishumba met Mazoe in September through a mutual friend, Tichafa Chirewo.
The two began a romantic relationship, during which Chishumba introduced himself as “Nyasha Tagwirei,” claiming to be the son of the well-known businessman Kuda Tagwirei.
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On September 21, under the pretense of wanting to check her phone for infidelity—because he intended to marry her—Chishumba convinced Mazoe to let him borrow her phone. Trusting him, she agreed, but he never returned it.
Using Mazoe’s phone, Chishumba contacted several individuals, offering to convert their local ZiG currency into US dollars. Unaware of the scam, these individuals transferred money to him, expecting to receive their funds in US dollars.
Mazoe became aware of the fraud when people began approaching her for their money. In response, she promptly blocked her number through her service provider and reported the incident to the police. When authorities arrested Chishumba, he was found in possession of Mazoe’s phone.
Another victim, Faustina Makuwa, a colleague of Mazoe, fell victim to Chishumba’s ruse on September 24. Posing as “Nyasha Tagwirei” through messages sent from Mazoe’s phone, Chishumba requested the ZiG equivalent of $550. Believing the request to be genuine, Makuwa sent the funds, only to discover Chishumba was unresponsive thereafter.
Chishumba’s fraudulent activities did not stop there; he also targeted additional victims, including Noreen Mutaramutswa, whom he duped out of ZWG$6,700 with the promise of converting the money into US dollars.
