Harare – A director of a Harare-based freight clearing company has appeared in court facing fraud charges after allegedly defrauding the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) of more than ZiG$400,000 through a fictitious payment scheme.
Lawrence Zifungo, 43, was arraigned at the Harare Magistrates’ Court. He is accused of using company and ZIMRA accounts to clear goods without making the necessary payments to the tax authority.
According to the State, in 2023, Rosecraft Freight Private Limited engaged Zifungo to manage customs clearance for clients using the company’s official accounts. Zifungo was given access to Rosecraft Freight’s pre-payment account, intended for clearing goods through ZIMRA.
Between January and August 2025, he allegedly created a plan to defraud Rosecraft Freight. Acting with unidentified ZIMRA employees, he is accused of falsely reporting that Rosecraft Freight had deposited ZiG$448,620 into ZIMRA’s BancABC account.
Court documents indicate that the scheme involved ZIMRA staff generating a fake payment record, showing the funds had been received. This allegedly allowed goods to be cleared without actual payment, resulting in a loss to the national revenue.
Zifungo was released on US$300 bail while investigations continue into the full extent of the fraud and the possible involvement of other parties.
