HARARE – Private investigator and former police officer Tafadzwa Chidawa has been remanded in custody following the confirmation of a warrant for his arrest in a five-year-old theft case. Chidawa is accused of orchestrating a staged robbery involving US$20,000 at Blue Ridge Lodge in 2020. The case, which was allegedly part of a cover-up for an adulterous affair, has seen multiple suspects either arrested or on the run.
According to court documents, the complainant, Melody Matanhire, was in a relationship with Malvern Mutanda, who deceived her into believing he had US$100,000 in soiled money that required cleaning. Mutanda convinced Matanhire to provide US$20,000 in clean money for the process, promising a commission in return. Acting on this misrepresentation, she withdrew the cash from her Glen Lorne home and accompanied him to the lodge, unaware of the plan to steal from her.
Once at the lodge, Matanhire handed over the money, which was placed in a cooler box. At that moment, Chidawa and his accomplices – Paradza Passmore Matubu, Perseverance Chisango, and Francis Takura – stormed the lodge, pretending to be police officers. They seized Mutanda and the cooler box, staged an arrest, and later released Matanhire. The gang then met and shared the stolen money among themselves.
The crime was uncovered when Matanhire, in a desperate bid to hide her loss from her husband, faked a robbery at her home. However, detectives from CID Homicide unraveled the scheme, arresting Mutanda, which led to the recovery of some of the stolen funds. Subsequent investigations resulted in Takura’s arrest while driving a Mercedes Benz Compressor, which was allegedly used in the crime. Chidawa was later implicated after police recovered an identification card in his name from Takura’s vehicle.
Chidawa, who previously defaulted court proceedings in January 2023 alongside Matubu and Chisango, is set to appear in court tomorrow for the continuation of his trial. Meanwhile, his accomplices, Mutanda and Takura, remain on the run. The case continues to unfold as authorities seek to bring all involved parties to justice.
