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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A 27-year-old Seke villager who grabbed headlines recently after registering cellphone lines in prominent Zanu-PF politicians’ names was last week back in court for registering a line in Harare South MP Cde Shadreck Mashayamombe’s name.
Blessing Mazarura, of Murisa Village, Chief Seke’s area, allegedly used the line to swindle several people by purporting to offer them land.

He appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe who revoked his previous bail, forfeiting line to the State and before remanding him in custody to August 21.

Prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira alleged that sometime in July this year, Mazarura bought an Econet line 0783505079 and registered it for EcoCash in the name of Cde Mashayamombe.

The court heard that on July 22, he phoned an administration manager at XGMA Earth Movers, Mr George Ngonidzashe Maposa, advising him that he had qualified for a plot allocation.

Maposa was instructed to deposit US$325 into the EcoCash line for administration fees, it is alleged.

After the money was deposited, Mazarura withdrew it the same day from an EcoCash agent.

The court heard that Mazarura bought another line 0783961290 and registered it in the name of the same legislator.

He allegedly called Frontier Services director Mr Tichaona Zhavairo informing him that he had qualified for a farm and requested him to deposit US$396.

The money was deposited and Mazarura withdrew it.

Using the same line, Mazarura called a training officer at the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development, Mr Kennedy Matiki, telling him that he had been allocated a plot.

Mr Matiki was advised to deposit US$126 “administration fees” and Mazarura withdrew the money.

Nene Trading manager, Ms Charity Tapfumaneyi, also received a call from Mazurura, who was using the line registered in Cde Mashayamombe’s name.

After being told that she had been allocated a plot, Tapfumaneyi was advised to deposit US$320 through EcoCash.

Another businessman, Mr Bryn Majada, lost US$320 to Mazarura through the same scam.

Mazarura was arrested on August 4 and the line registered in Cde Mashayamombe’s name was recovered from him.

Cde Mashayamombe was summoned by the police and denied ownership of the line.

On July 7 this year, Mazarura appeared at the Harare magistrate courts accused of defrauding farmers whom he called using fraudulently registered lines advising them that they had qualified for agricultural inputs and implements before ordering them to send money for transport on the EcoCash platform.