News / National
'ZACC' Commissioners jailed for high-profile extortion ring
09 Sep 2025 at 14:16hrs | Views
Two men who masqueraded as Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) commissioners and ran an elaborate extortion scheme targeting high-profile figures, including former Harare Mayor Elias Mudzuri and politician Dr Simba Makoni, have been jailed.
Felix Rimaunga and Brian Nyazamba were each sentenced to eight years in prison by Harare regional magistrate Taurai Manuwere after a full trial. Four years of their sentences were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while a further two-and-a-half years were suspended on condition that they restitute some of the complainants. The remaining one-and-a-half years will be served effectively.
Harare regional prosecutor-in-charge, Gossy Mudambu, told the court that the two worked with accomplices Fortune Torima and Jacob Kuzinya, who are still at large. Nyazamba was responsible for profiling prominent individuals and passing the information to Rimaunga and Torima, who then instructed Kuzinya to produce fake documents and open fraudulent bank accounts.
The court heard how the pair would telephone their targets, claiming to be ZACC officials investigating corruption cases. They threatened arrest and prosecution unless large sums of money were paid to "destroy dockets." In one instance, Mudzuri was falsely accused of involvement in a murder case and ordered to pay US$2,000 to avoid prosecution. Suspicious, he consulted his lawyer and later confirmed with ZACC that no such case existed.
Dr Makoni was similarly contacted and told he was under investigation for violating Exchange Control Regulations. He was instructed to deposit Z$1 million into a CBZ Bank account under the name of "Talent Murape," only to later discover that no such person existed.
Other victims included NetOne chief executive Raphael Mushanawani, who was threatened with exposure on social media unless he paid 10 percent of the value of assets allegedly stolen by a company cashier; Africawide Zimbabwe CEO Douglas Chiimba, who was ordered to pay US$1,000; and Harare-based medical practitioner Dr Guzha, who was falsely accused of raping a patient and pressed to pay a similar amount.
The Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe's Cassius Gambinga was also targeted, with one of the convicts pretending to be ZACC Commissioner Chimbwanda and demanding both US$1,400 and Z$5,000 to make "corruption cases" disappear. In another case, City of Harare district officer for Mufakose, Chiratidzo Dzama, was told by one of the fraudsters, who introduced himself as Commissioner Gwangwadza, that anonymous letters had accused her of corruption. She was asked to pay US$900 or Z$90,000 via EcoCash to prevent the matter from escalating.
The extortion scheme eventually collapsed after several victims reported the suspicious demands directly to ZACC, which confirmed that the men were impostors.
Rimaunga and Nyazamba's conviction brings closure to one of the most brazen fraud cases in recent years, though police are still hunting Torima and Kuzinya, who remain at large.
Felix Rimaunga and Brian Nyazamba were each sentenced to eight years in prison by Harare regional magistrate Taurai Manuwere after a full trial. Four years of their sentences were suspended on condition of good behaviour, while a further two-and-a-half years were suspended on condition that they restitute some of the complainants. The remaining one-and-a-half years will be served effectively.
Harare regional prosecutor-in-charge, Gossy Mudambu, told the court that the two worked with accomplices Fortune Torima and Jacob Kuzinya, who are still at large. Nyazamba was responsible for profiling prominent individuals and passing the information to Rimaunga and Torima, who then instructed Kuzinya to produce fake documents and open fraudulent bank accounts.
The court heard how the pair would telephone their targets, claiming to be ZACC officials investigating corruption cases. They threatened arrest and prosecution unless large sums of money were paid to "destroy dockets." In one instance, Mudzuri was falsely accused of involvement in a murder case and ordered to pay US$2,000 to avoid prosecution. Suspicious, he consulted his lawyer and later confirmed with ZACC that no such case existed.
Dr Makoni was similarly contacted and told he was under investigation for violating Exchange Control Regulations. He was instructed to deposit Z$1 million into a CBZ Bank account under the name of "Talent Murape," only to later discover that no such person existed.
Other victims included NetOne chief executive Raphael Mushanawani, who was threatened with exposure on social media unless he paid 10 percent of the value of assets allegedly stolen by a company cashier; Africawide Zimbabwe CEO Douglas Chiimba, who was ordered to pay US$1,000; and Harare-based medical practitioner Dr Guzha, who was falsely accused of raping a patient and pressed to pay a similar amount.
The Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe's Cassius Gambinga was also targeted, with one of the convicts pretending to be ZACC Commissioner Chimbwanda and demanding both US$1,400 and Z$5,000 to make "corruption cases" disappear. In another case, City of Harare district officer for Mufakose, Chiratidzo Dzama, was told by one of the fraudsters, who introduced himself as Commissioner Gwangwadza, that anonymous letters had accused her of corruption. She was asked to pay US$900 or Z$90,000 via EcoCash to prevent the matter from escalating.
The extortion scheme eventually collapsed after several victims reported the suspicious demands directly to ZACC, which confirmed that the men were impostors.
Rimaunga and Nyazamba's conviction brings closure to one of the most brazen fraud cases in recent years, though police are still hunting Torima and Kuzinya, who remain at large.
Source - H-Metro
