Telone Loss Control Officer Faces Charges for Fals...

Telone Loss Control Officer Faces Charges for Falsifying Information

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

A Telone loss control officer, Penelock Majonhi, 47, has been arraigned before the courts on charges of deliberately supplying false information to a public authority and unlawfully taking possession of telecommunications infrastructure material.

Majonhi appeared before Magistrate Sharon Rakafa at the Harare Magistrates' Courts.

According to the state, represented by prosecutor Takudzwa Jambawu, the incident occurred on December 11 at around 6:00 PM, when Majonhi began his shift at the Telone Main Exchange.

He was accompanied by two Seasec Security guards, Obvious Munyaradzi Kuwapfaira and Marshal Sithole, as well as ZRP Constable Elliot Mazango, who was stationed at ZRP Harare Central Relief 4 and temporarily assigned to Telone duties for immediate reactions and patrols.

The team conducted patrols in various areas, including Southerton, Glennorah, Glenview, Kuwadzana, and Warren Park. At approximately 12:30 AM, while traveling along Remembrance Drive in Mbare, they observed two men, one carrying a sack, walking along the island towards the Coca-Cola area.

Majonhi, who was driving, stopped the vehicle, and Kuwapfaira and Sithole approached the suspects. One of the suspects fled, but the second, identified as Crainos Tagwirei, was apprehended.

Upon searching Tagwirei, officers found no incriminating items, only a shovel, pick, hacksaw, knife, and some empty sacks. Tagwirei claimed he had spent the day working at a house in Westlea, owned by a person named Shumba.

However, inquiries at the address revealed that no one by that name was known at the location.

At this point, Majonhi allegedly whispered to Kuwapfaira to plant a piece of Telone drop wire in Tagwirei's sack. In full view of Constable Mazango, Kuwapfaira took a small bundle of Telone cable from the back of Majonhi’s vehicle and placed it into Tagwirei’s sack.

Majonhi reportedly ordered the team to search the sack while he filmed or took photos of the supposed recovery of the cable. This resulted in a fabricated report of the recovery of Telone infrastructure material, which had not been in Tagwirei’s possession to begin with.

Constable Mazango reportedly questioned Majonhi’s actions, and the group drove off toward the city center, arguing along the way. Instead of proceeding to the nearest police station, Majonhi allegedly took the team to Telone Main Exchange, where he forced Mazango out of the vehicle and made him believe that he was returning Tagwirei to the place they had picked him up.

Instead, Majonhi made a report at the CID MFFU Harare, leading to Tagwirei’s detention on charges of "receiving or taking possession of telecommunications infrastructure material," as stipulated under Section 89(4)(c) of the Postal and Telecommunications Act (Chapter 12:05). However, Tagwirei had not committed this offense.

Following an investigation by CID MFFU Harare detectives, it was discovered that Majonhi had fabricated the report. He had no legitimate reason to possess the Telone drop wire and had acted unlawfully by manipulating the situation to falsely implicate Tagwirei.

Majonhi’s actions have led to his arrest, and he now faces serious charges for his role in this fraudulent scheme.