Zimbabwe: Mashwede's Son Implicated in U.S.$41K Solar Equipment Fraud

Three men from Harare appeared in court on Monday. They face fraud charges involving counterfeit documents. The documents were used to acquire solar equipment worth US$41,172 from a local company.

The accused are Tendai Mashamhanda, Ngoni Sabawu, and Sam Tinashe Muyandi. Mashamhanda is the son of businessman Alex Mashamhanda, also known as Mashwede. They appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, who granted them bail of US$200 each. Their next court date is set for July 15.

Caplaw Enterprises Private Limited is the complainant in this case. General Manager Michael Steven represents the company.

On April 16, 2025, the accused approached Caplaw Enterprises with a fake purchase order. This document falsely claimed they were authorized by Energy Park Fuels to procure solar systems. They intended to install these systems at Energy Park Service Stations nationwide.

To support their scheme, the accused arranged a site visit to Energy Park Service Station in Mbare. They showed Caplaw representatives where the solar systems would be installed.

On May 22, Sabawu and two accomplices hired a truck at Mbare Musika. They collected seven sets of 15KVA solar systems valued at US$41,172 from Caplaw Enterprises. They claimed these were for the Energy Park Mbare site.

The scam was uncovered on May 27 when Caplaw representatives visited Energy Park Service Station. They found that no solar equipment had been ordered and that the purchase order was fake.

CCTV footage revealed Sabawu and his vehicle involved in the fraudulent transactions. Following a police report and investigations, Sabawu, Muyandi, and Mashamhanda were arrested.

During their arrest, police recovered two solar panels from Muyandi. However, most of the stolen equipment remains missing. Caplaw Enterprises suffered a loss of US$41,172 but has only recovered US$200 worth of property so far.