Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
The trial of three Ministry of Industry and Commerce workers accused of issuing fraudulent vehicle import licences to over 200 unqualified individuals resumed this week, with incriminating evidence presented by a forensic expert against the ministry’s principal economist showing that many signatures on applications were made by one person.
The accused, Andrew Mateveke (a licence clerk), Webster Mondiwa (deputy director of administration) and Fanuel Muzavazi (the principal economist), are facing charges of criminal abuse of office for allegedly violating Statutory Instrument 89 of 2021 requiring vehicle importers to obtain a special licence for any imported cars 10 years or older.
Forensic specialist Mr Kurauone Madzivanyika testified before Harare regional magistrate Mr Taurai Manwere, providing evidence that implicated Muzavazi as the primary individual responsible for signing most of the fraudulent licences.
“I examined the exhibits using photography and digital microscopy, including a Canon EOS 650D camera with a 60mm lens and high-magnification microscopes.
“My analysis revealed that 77 questioned signatures shared consistent general and individual characteristics, indicating they were authored by the same person,” Mr Madzivanyika said.
He further explained that Muzavazi’s eight standard sample signatures and 12 requested sample signatures were consistent in their general and individual features, confirming his involvement.
Mr Madzivanyika’s testimony marked the closure of the State case. Ruling on discharge will be handed down on June 23.
The State alleges that in April 2021, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce requested import licence books from Mondiwa, who instructed Ngonidzashe Shoko to prepare and issue vouchers for 17 books.
However, Shoko returned the books to Mondiwa, who later unlawfully diverted four of them.
Mondiwa, allegedly conspired with Mateveke and Muzavazi and used the diverted books to issue vehicle import licences to individuals who failed to meet the criteria outlined in SI 89 of 2021.
Muzavazi, as the ministry’s designated signatory, reportedly signed all the licences without following due process.
The licences were then handed to vehicle importers, who presented them to the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) for vehicle clearance.
The fraudulent licences were flagged by ZIMRA officers, who contacted the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to verify their authenticity.
Instead of acknowledging the fraud, Mateveke allegedly confirmed the licences as authentic, despite them not being officially allocated to the ministry’s Bulawayo office.
