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Tafadzwa Zimoyo Senior Court Reporter—

A Hwedza teacher who allegedly obtained cellphones worth close to $6 000 from Astro Mobile Company despite being blacklisted by the Salary Service Bureau (SSB) from accessing credit has appeared in court.

Ephraim Mavhima (40), a teacher at St Anne’s Goto High School in Hwedza, recently appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa, who remanded him to January 20 on $100 bail.

Prosecutor Ms Audrey Chogumaira told the court that sometime in March last year, Mavhima applied to obtain cellphones on credit from Astro Mobile at various branches.

The branches are in Masvingo, Gweru, Marondera, Mutare and Harare.

It is allegedly that he applied for cellphones worth $5 786, while aware that he was blacklisted by SSB and that he was not earning enough to apply for such credit.

It is the State’s case that he went on to obtain the cellphones on credit after deceiving Astro Mobile.

The mobile phone company later realised that Mavhima, who had already managed to collect the cellphones at their various branches, was blacklisted by the SSB.

The matter came to light when the company tried to deduct their money from Mavhima’s salary through the Government paymaster.