A 28-year-old woman from Mutare is facing allegations of stealing kambucha drink stock valued at US$114,543 from her employer, Kambucha Fresh Zimbabwe.
Netsai Muredzi recently appeared before Mutare magistrate Ms. Perseverance Makala, facing theft charges under Section 113(1) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act, Chapter 9:23. She pleaded not guilty, and the trial has been postponed to March 14 for continuation.
The case is being prosecuted by Mr. Chris Munyuku, who stated that Muredzi, responsible for receiving stock from the company’s head office, allegedly misappropriated 12,781 cases of kambucha between November 2023 and September 2024.
“During this period, Muredzi was in charge of stock management, sales records, and reporting to the head office. However, she deliberately took company property for personal gain, disregarding Kambucha Fresh Zimbabwe’s ownership rights,” Mr. Munyuku explained.
A stock audit conducted in August 2024 revealed significant discrepancies, prompting a forensic investigation covering the period from November 2023 to September 2, 2024. The audit confirmed that thousands of cases were unaccounted for, leading to a police report and subsequent investigations.
Before her arrest, Muredzi resigned from the company, seemingly in an attempt to evade responsibility. However, law enforcement proceeded with her arrest, and the findings from the forensic audit were presented in court as evidence.
According to Mr. Munyuku, expert auditors concluded that Muredzi had indeed committed the offence. The case remains under judicial review.
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