By Naledi Nyoni
HARARE — A 27-year-old Harare man has been jailed for an effective two years after duping a local healthcare training company out of nearly US$70,000 in a bogus United Kingdom (UK) employment sponsorship scheme.
Takunda McDonald Pfende was convicted by the Harare Magistrates’ Court after falsely claiming he could facilitate UK Certificates of Sponsorship (CoS) for healthcare workers, deceiving Path Quest Overseas (Pvt) Ltd into paying him US$69,856.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the fraud occurred between May and July 2023 when Pfende represented that he had the authority to secure Certificates of Sponsorship required for Zimbabweans seeking employment in the UK health sector.
Path Quest Overseas, a registered company that trains healthcare professionals for overseas employment, collected US$5,000 from each of 58 clients before transferring the funds to Pfende for the promised sponsorship certificates.
However, prosecutors said Pfende failed to deliver the documents and became evasive after receiving the money.
The company was subsequently forced to reimburse its clients before reporting the matter to the police.
Investigations established that Pfende had no authority to facilitate UK Certificates of Sponsorship, while none of the stolen money was recovered.
The court sentenced Pfende to five years’ imprisonment, with one year suspended on condition of good behaviour.
A further two years were suspended on condition that he restitutes US$65,665 to the complainant, leaving him with an effective two-year prison sentence.
The case comes amid growing concern over fraudulent overseas employment schemes targeting Zimbabweans seeking better economic opportunities abroad.
Authorities have repeatedly warned job seekers to verify the credentials of recruitment agents and companies before making payments, particularly for jobs in countries such as the United Kingdom, where legitimate employers and licensed sponsors follow strict immigration procedures.
Following the conviction, the NPAZ urged recruitment firms and members of the public to conduct due diligence, verify credentials and promptly report suspected fraud to law enforcement authorities.
