Harare, Zimbabwe | A Harare woman has appeared in court facing allegations of stealing more than US$27,000 from her employer.
Albina Mutiza appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo charged with theft. She was remanded in custody until April 29 after her bail application was denied.
The complainant is Priddles Investments (Pvt) Ltd, which employed Mutiza as a sales representative at Shop F4B in the Gulf Complex, located in central Harare.
According to the state, between April 2024 and April 2025, the company noted a decline in sales attributed to Mutiza and began to suspect financial impropriety.
The company reportedly hired an auditor, identified as Mr. Kanyoka from Preak Enterprises, to review accounting records. The audit revealed a discrepancy of US$27,375.36, prompting further investigations into operations at the shop.
Prosecutors allege that on April 7, 2025, Mutiza completed her shift, printed the daily sales report, and surrendered US$1,075 to her employer. However, she allegedly returned to the shop and sold accessories worth US$335 after submitting the earlier cash.
The court heard that the employer was informed Mutiza had accessed the shop computer later that day. He went to the shop and confronted her, along with another staff member, Tino Mhondoro.
Mutiza was allegedly asked to reprint the sales report, which showed total sales of US$1,439—US$364 more than the amount she had handed over.
When questioned about the discrepancy, Mutiza reportedly retrieved US$335 from her jeans, claiming it was part of the day’s sales.
On April 8, police searched her residence in Budiriro and recovered ICT accessories worth US$902 that belonged to the complainant.
The total amount allegedly stolen is US$27,375.36, of which US$1,237 has been recovered.
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