By Staff Reporter
Harare – Veteran auctioneer and JEFFM Auctions director Jeffrey Mubaiwa has been formally cleared of all fraud allegations after NetOne Cellular (Pvt) Ltd withdrew its complaint, prompting the Harare Magistrates’ Court to strike the case off the roll.
NewsHour can exclusively report that the mobile operator has now acknowledged the matter stemmed from contractual misunderstandings and not criminal conduct.
Mubaiwa (47) had recently appeared before magistrate Apollonia Marutya facing charges of allegedly defrauding NetOne of US$133 000.
However, he walked free after the complainant reversed its claims through a sworn affidavit by NetOne’s Regional Loss Control Officer, Takaiteyi Chitekwe.
The affidavit, dated October 14, 2025 and filed at Kopje Plaza, explicitly stated that NetOne was “no longer interested in pursuing the matter,” noting that internal company resolutions had concluded the dispute was contractual in nature.
The company further conceded that the contested issues “were not captured in the contract” and should have been resolved privately rather than through prosecution.
NetOne also declared that the matter had been settled amicably and that it would not be resuscitated “in any other court of law.”
The withdrawal undercut the State’s case, which had accused Mubaiwa of failing to remit proceeds from a July 13 auction of obsolete NetOne vehicles, furniture, and equipment.
The auction generated US$172 204, with prosecutors alleging a 48-hour remittance requirement.
NetOne’s revised position confirms the controversy was administrative rather than criminal.
With the complainant effectively disowning the allegations, the magistrate ruled that the State had no legal grounds to proceed, resulting in Mubaiwa’s full legal exoneration.
The development restores the professional reputation of one of Zimbabwe’s most prominent auctioneers.
Sources close to the case assert that the outcome vindicates Mubaiwa and allows him to continue his leadership at JEFFM Auctions without the taint of criminal suspicion.
NetOne’s final affidavit conclusively nullifies earlier insinuations of fraud or money laundering, closing the matter definitively.
The company’s actions also signal its commitment to transparency and sound corporate governance in addressing internal disputes.
