Sharon Jiyamwa
Herald Reporter
A VEHICLE rental scam unravelled last week, leading to the arrest of 26-year-old Kudakwashe Mutandwa and his accomplice after an alert police check exposed forged registration documents in Chivhu.
The syndicate’s plot began on October 30 2026, when Mutandwa, acting alongside accomplices still at large, including one known as Baba Vimbai, targeted a car owner, Daniel Magomo (28), through his mobile number advertised for car rental services.
According to court records from the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) Marlborough Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Vehicle Theft Squad, the suspects contacted Magomo posing as genuine clients looking to hire a motor vehicle.
Later that day around 13:00 hours, one of the accomplices, using the alias Tafadzwa Makina, met Magomo at Harare Showgrounds. The suspect presented a fake national identity card and a fraudulent driver’s licence bearing his photo, loaded with US$450 cash for a six-day hire period up to 4 November 2026.
After completing the transaction at Avondale Flea Market, the suspect handed over a silver Honda Fit vehicle to Mutandwa at Greenfields Shopping Centre.
However, instead of using the vehicle as agreed, the syndicate immediately listed it for sale on Facebook, using a temporary “buddie” mobile line. Baba Vimbai negotiated a potential sale with an unsuspecting buyer based in Chivhu.
On 31 October 2026, Mutandwa and his accomplices travelled to Chivhu armed with a forged national identity card and a counterfeit vehicle registration book under the name Nonceba Prayers Chigariro.
While Mutandwa and his cohort met the prospective buyer, Moses Mutizira, at his residence in Highview Location, they monitored the transaction from a distance. Mutizira agreed to purchase the vehicle for US$8 000 and handed over 80 hundred-dollar bills.
Suspicion arose when Mutizira insisted on verifying the paperwork at CID Chivhu offices before finalising; detective constable Muhonde contacted the CID Vehicle Theft Squad in Harare for clearance, revealing that the vehicle’s first registration date did not match the Central Vehicle Registry (CVR) database.
Realising he had been duped, Mutizira immediately demanded his money back while police intervened, arresting the accused and successfully recovering the stolen motor vehicle, bringing the total value of recovered property to US$13 000.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Gideon Wakisai Muhonde formally opposed bail for Mutandwa, citing the gravity of the offence under Section 113 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23. The State argued that the accused faces a lengthy custodial sentence, possesses no fixed ties, and is likely to abscond or interfere with ongoing investigations involving accomplices still at large.
The matter continues as investigations proceed.
