By Dumisani Ndlovu
Twenty-four people from Malawi and Burundi were fined $30 each for illegally entering Zimbabwe. The group, comprising 20 Malawians and four Burundians, was arrested by police for loitering around the Beitbridge Border Post without proper documentation. They were convicted by the Beitbridge Magistrates Court and given the option to pay the fine or face 13 days in prison.
The incident highlights the serious issue of illegal immigration and the importance of adhering to immigration laws. In many countries, including Zimbabwe, illegal entry is a punishable offense, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. The Zimbabwean government has implemented strict immigration laws to regulate the entry and stay of foreigners in the country.
In a separate incident, a 21-year-old man from Gweru, Stanford Tapiwa Marongwe, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for mobile money fraud involving over $2,000. Marongwe was initially sentenced to 36 months imprisonment by the Gweru Magistrates’ Court on three counts of fraud. The court suspended 8 months of the sentence for five years and the remaining 18 months on condition that he compensates his victims $2,300.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), Marongwe committed the offense on September 21, when he went to a mobile money outlet and pretended to withdraw $450. He tricked the cashier into handing over her smartphone, which he used to send a fake text message purporting to confirm the transaction. The cashier, acting on the fake message, handed over $450 to Marongwe, who then left the shop. Marongwe used the same method to defraud two other victims of $850 and $1,000, respectively.
