Court Reporter
HARARE- THE trial of a local man accused of defrauding his former employer of nearly US$11,000 opens at the Harare Magistrates Court on July 1, 2026.
He will simultaneously face a separate trial for kidnapping and assaulting a witness from another fraud case.
Simbarashe Emmanuel Martin Rondozai (38) will juggle two separate trials on this single day of reckoning after the court ordered a separation of the cases.
In the first case (CRB2339/26), Rondozai faces charges of theft of trust property as defined under Section 113(2)(e) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23.
The State alleges that Rondozai converted US$10,811 to his personal use. The money was held in trust by Wellcash Debt Collectors on behalf of its clients. Mr. Cephas Shingirayi Ngorima is representing the complainant company. None of the embezzled funds have been recovered.
In the second case (Ref: F261/26), Rondozai faces charges of kidnapping or unlawful detention under Section 93 of the Criminal Law Act.
The complainant, David Matanda (35), was Rondozai’s subordinate at Real Star Security. Last year, the security firm launched investigations into separate fraud allegations involving Rondozai. Upon learning he was under investigation, Rondozai allegedly plotted to silence Matanda.
In May 2025, Rondozai and four accomplices (still at large) tracked Matanda to his Zengeza, Chitungwiza home at 9:00 PM.
Two accomplices knocked on the door posing as police officers. They assaulted Matanda in front of his wife, Cathrine Satande, and brother, Rufaro.
The men bundled Matanda into a silver Honda Fit, where Rondozai was waiting. They blindfolded Matanda and drove him to a secluded area.
Matanda was held hostage for eight hours. He was beaten with fists and blunt objects. The captors demanded details about the fraud probe and threatened his life. They claimed political connections and boasted that they were above the law. One suspect stated they were at the exact spot where a well-known political activist had been killed.
After drinking and smoking in the vehicle, the suspects dumped Matanda by a bridge along the new Chitungwiza Road.
Fearing for his life, Matanda went into hiding in Concession, Mashonaland Central, in June 2025 before fleeing to South Africa. He returned to Zimbabwe on December 16, 2025.
In January 2026, the suspects discovered his return. They sent an emissary named “Cloud” (or “Mwendamberi”) to intimidate him into hiding again.
Refusing to live in fear, Matanda reported the ordeal to the police on February 19, 2026, leading to Rondozai’s arrest.
Authorities are currently investigating whether Simbarashe Emmanuel Martin Rondozai is the same person as “Emmanuel Nicholas T. Rondozai.” The latter is a director of Aureum Gates (Pvt) Ltd and faces a separate fraud case. Investigators are verifying if the suspect holds dual identity credentials.
In February 2026, the director allegedly pocketed US$3,600 in rentals from tenants at a Greendale property, failing to remit it to the owner, Augustine Madondo.
Official records show Aureum Gates (located at 75 Cleveland Road, Greendale) was only incorporated on April 27, 2026. This indicates the firm operated illegally when it collected the rentals.
