HARARE
–
A
44-year-old
Reserve
Bank
of
Zimbabwe
(RBZ)
employee
has
been
jailed
for
an
effective
36
months
after
stealing
US$1,500
from
the
central
bank
and
spending
it
on
online
gambling.
Pets
Napwaro,
of
George
Drive
in
Masasa,
Harare,
and
employed
as
a
general
hand
at
the
central
bank
appeared
before
magistrate
Mahi
Ayanda
Dhlamini
where
he
pleaded
guilty
to
theft.
He
was
sentenced
to
57
months’
imprisonment,
with
12
months
suspended
for
five
years
and
a
further
10
months
suspended
on
condition
of
restitution,
leaving
him
to
serve
36
months.
Prosecutor
Takudzwa
Mutyavaviri
told
the
court
that
Napwaro,
a
general
hand
at
RBZ,
stole
the
money
from
the
office
of
assets
manager
Benard
Kenneth
Chitenje.
“On
April
25,
2026,
at
around
9.30AM,
the
complainant
secured
his
office…
leaving
cash
US$1,500
in
a
drawer,”
the
prosecution
said.
The
court
heard
that
Napwaro
took
advantage
of
a
slightly
open
window
to
execute
the
theft.
“The
accused
person…
used
a
chair
to
scale
through
the
window
to
gain
entry
into
the
office
without
any
permission,”
the
prosecutor
said.
“Whilst
inside
the
office
the
accused
person
took
cash
US$1,500…
and
went
away
unnoticed.”
The
theft
was
discovered
when
the
complainant
returned,
leading
to
a
police
report
and
investigations
that
resulted
in
Napwaro’s
arrest.
Upon
questioning,
Napwaro
confessed
and
revealed
how
he
disposed
of
the
money.
“He
admitted
to
have
committed
the
offence
and
indicated
that
he
had
already
exhausted
the
stolen
money
through
betting…
Aviator
(Kandege),”
the
State
said,
adding
that
he
used
third-party
accounts
to
place
the
bets.
He
later
led
detectives
to
the
scene
and
made
indications
confirming
how
he
carried
out
the
offence.
The
stolen
money
was
recovered.