LP GAS GIANT IN US$7.6M FOREX SCANDAL! Company, director nailed over smuggling 9.4 million kgs of LPG

Magistrate Ashton Dube challenged Machika’s justification, saying his actions were a direct violation of the child’s rights and an obstruction of due legal process.

B-Metro Reporter

A MAJOR fuel importer, Grant Wellington Thulisa (Pvt) Ltd, and its director Grant Chitate allegedly illegally moved over US$7.6 million in foreign currency without Reserve Bank approval.
In a bold crackdown on forex violations, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) confirmed that Chitate and his company were arrested on 30 July 2025 for flouting exchange control regulations.

“The accused are being charged for contravening Section 5(1) of the Exchange Control Act [Chapter 22:05] as read with Section 11(1)(a)(b) of the Exchange Control Regulations, S.I. 109 of 1996 – making foreign payments without the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe’s approval,” said the NPAZ in a statement.

Between January 2019 and December 2024, the company allegedly smuggled in 9.4 million kilogrammes of LP gas worth US$7 669 864.12, but suspiciously, none of these massive payments were recorded in its local bank accounts.
“The local account balances did not match the value of imports,” the NPAZ noted.

Chitate appeared in court and was released on US$1 000 bail, slapped with strict conditions as investigations continue. He is expected back in court on 2 September 2025.
Authorities say this is part of an intensified war on economic sabotage.

“This case underscores the Zimbabwean authorities’ intensified clampdown on illegal forex transactions, with enforcement focusing on transparency in high-value imports,” the NPAZ added.