By Staff Reporter
Harare – NetOne Chief Executive Officer Raphael Mushawani, is facing serious allegations of economic misconduct that reportedly drained the economy of ZWG$30 million.
Sources indicate that two weeks after introducing the ZiG currency in May, Mushawani’s team within the Mobile Financial Services department (OneMoney) allegedly manipulated the system to create ‘ghost money’ on the market.
“What happened is these guys at the Mobile Financial Services department manipulated the system such that you could make a successful transfer on the OneMoney platform to any bank via Zipit but the money was not deducted from the OneMoney account.
“The beneficiary of the transfer would be part of their syndicate and would then change the money to USD or buy goods and services,” said an inside source.
In response to the growing scandal, the managing director of OneMoney resigned, and the Central Bank Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) raised concerns, temporarily suspending services pending further investigations.
Critics argue that Mushawani, an IT expert, either failed to identify the anomalies or actively facilitated the scheme, suggesting he may be complicit in the alleged fraud.
“Raphael left Telecel under unclear circumstances, but as an IT expert, he likely provided insights to the team or identified the anomaly himself, suggesting he may have been complicit in the syndicate’s activities, if not its chief architect,” said another insider who preferred anonymity fearing victimization.
In a controversial move, Mushawani has accused two employees, Linda Mutemeri and Anotida Munyaradzi, of conspiring with a hacker to infiltrate the financial system, raising questions about accountability.
This is not Mushawani’s first brush with controversy.
In 2016, he was among several executives terminated by the NetOne board due to allegations of corporate malfeasance, including issues related to procurement and IT management.
His recent return to the company has sparked skepticism.
A forensic audit conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers, initiated by the Auditor-General’s Office, uncovered significant irregularities and concluded that NetOne had lost millions due to mismanagement.
In addition to Mushawani, the board terminated the employment of several other executives, including Memory Mandiya Ndoro (Executive of Public Relations and Special Projects), Prosper Muvengwa (Executive of Retail and Sales), and Lindon Nkomo (Legal Executive).
Despite the findings of a forensic audit conducted by Price Waterhouse Coopers at the request of the Auditor-General’s Office, which revealed numerous irregularities, the board opted to avoid protracted hearings and potential court proceedings.
Mushawani could not be reached for comment, as his mobile phone was unavailable at the time of writing.
