Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
A 23-year-old Harare man has appeared in court on allegations of impersonating Deputy Chief Justice Paddington Garwe in an attempt to obtain confidential recruitment information from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Martin Rashai appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Artwell Sanyatwe, facing charges of impersonating a public official.
According to the State, the complainant is the Judicial Service Commission of Zimbabwe.
Prosecutors allege that on May 5, 2026, Rashai used a mobile phone number registered in his name to send WhatsApp messages to JSC deputy head of human resources Mr Sekeni Tafadzwa and human resources officer Ms Abigail Ziti while falsely claiming to be Deputy Chief Justice Garwe.
The court heard that Rashai allegedly inquired about the dates for upcoming interviews for Information Technology Officer posts and also sought information relating to a Transport Officer vacancy at Kwekwe Magistrates’ Court.
His inquiries reportedly raised suspicion among the officials, who found it unusual for a senior judicial officer to make such inquiries.
Although Mr Sekeni and Ms Ziti initially responded to the messages, Ms Ziti sought further clarification regarding the sender’s identity and workplace.
The sender allegedly indicated that he was stationed at the Constitutional Court and confirmed that he was Deputy Chief Justice Garwe.
Believing she was communicating with the senior judicial officer, Ms Ziti shared some of the requested information.
However, suspicions deepened when attempts to contact the number through voice and WhatsApp calls were unsuccessful, with the sender responding only through text messages.
The court heard that Ms Ziti subsequently contacted the Superior Courts Human Resources Department to verify whether any discussions regarding vacancies had taken place with the Deputy Chief Justice.
Officials reportedly advised her that no such communication had occurred.
On May 6, Ms Ziti checked the Deputy Chief Justice’s official contact details and discovered that the number used to contact her did not match those on official records.
The following day, she reported the matter to Mr Sekeni, who revealed that he had also received messages from the same number.
An internal inquiry confirmed that the sender was impersonating the Deputy Chief Justice.
The matter was escalated to JSC Deputy Secretary Dr Katsande before being reported to the police.
Investigations by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Homicide and Fraud Unit allegedly established that Rashai had applied for employment at the Judicial Service Commission.
Police tracked him to Hurungwe, where he was arrested.
Investigators obtained a warrant compelling NetOne Zimbabwe to provide subscriber details and call records linked to the mobile number used in the offence.
Information supplied by the telecommunications company allegedly confirmed that the number was registered in Rashai’s name.
The matter is pending before the courts.
