A 47-year-old employee of Zimsend, operating under the Hello Paisa brand in Chipinge, has been convicted for theft of trust property after diverting funds meant for international remittance recipients.
Christwish Machamacha was sentenced by the Chipinge Magistrates’ Court to 24 months behind bars, with 9 months conditionally suspended. She will also perform 526 hours of community service, and must repay the stolen funds in full, according to a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).
The case stems from incidents that occurred between March 13 and April 15, 2025, while Machamacha was working at a Zimsend outlet located inside Gonye & Sons Supermarket.
As a teller, her primary duty was to handle incoming remittance funds and ensure they were distributed to the rightful local recipients. Over the month in question, she was entrusted with US$4,705 and ZAR600 for this purpose.
However, instead of fulfilling her responsibilities, Machamacha diverted the funds for personal use. An internal audit conducted on April 15 uncovered the missing money, prompting a deeper investigation.
The NPA revealed that Machamacha had used the company’s money to conduct unauthorized personal transactions via EcoCash, including attempts to apply for online loans—activities unrelated to her job.
Following the audit findings, she reached out to a Mukuru Chipinge employee in a bid to source funds to cover the deficit. She received US$1,400, which she tried to use to offset part of the misappropriated amount.
Despite her partial repayment, authorities noted that US$3,305 and ZAR600 remained unaccounted for.
Machamacha’s actions have been condemned as a serious breach of trust, with the sentence aimed at both punishing the offender and deterring similar misconduct in financial service roles.
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