Man Accused of U.S.$15k Gold Claim Scam Appears in Court

A man has appeared in court in Zimbabwe accused of defrauding a prospective miner of over US$15,000 in a scam involving the facilitation of a gold mining claim.

Dias Chawarira faced fraud charges at the Chinhoyi Magistrates' Court. The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) stated that Chawarira allegedly misled Ignatious Shonhiwa, promising to expedite the pegging, surveying, and registration of a gold mining claim in Karoi.

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It is alleged that Chawarira misrepresented to Ignatious Shonhiwa that he was going to facilitate the pegging, surveying, and registration of a gold mining claim in Karoi. Acting on the misrepresentation, Shonhiwa allegedly paid a facilitation fee of US$15 800.

Based on these alleged misrepresentations, Shonhiwa paid Chawarira a facilitation fee of US$15,800. ZACC reported that Chawarira issued a receipt for the payment and subsequently demanded more money, claiming it was needed for approvals from government authorities. However, investigations revealed that no such payments were required for the registration process, and the purported government officials were unaware of any such arrangements.

Chawarira was granted US$100 bail and remanded out of custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 13, 2026.

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The accused allegedly issued a receipt acknowledging payment and later demanded additional funds, claiming they were needed to secure approvals from relevant authorities. Investigations established that no such payments were required for the registration process and that the government officials purported to be involved were not aware of the alleged arrangements.