Taxi Rights Association Co-Director Arraigned for ...

Taxi Rights Association Co-Director Arraigned for Alleged US$45k Fraud

Munyaradzi Mashiri- Court Correspondent

Gibson Mtume, 47, co-director of the Integrated Taxi Rights Association, has been arraigned before the courts on allegations of defrauding the association of US$45 000.

Mtume, of Mainway Meadows, appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Court facing fraud charges. He is set to reappear on April 24, 2025.

The complainant in the matter is ITRA, represented by its director, Jackson Chipfupa.

According to the State, in 2019, Chipfupa and Mtume registered the Taxi Rights Association under company number 8192/2019, with the principal objective of regulating public transport operations to establish a professionally managed, safe, and legally compliant transport system.

However, Mtume allegedly devised a plan to defraud the association by unilaterally branding and registering public transport operators without the complainant’s knowledge.

He is accused of registering 450 commuter omnibuses, branding them with an unauthorized sticker featuring his personal contact details, and charging registration fees of US$20 to US$30 per vehicle, along with a US$5 weekly subscription fee—all of which he allegedly pocketed.

The complainant later discovered the scheme and reported the matter to the police, leading to Mtume’s arrest on March 20, 2025.

As a result, the association lost US$45 000, and none of the funds were recovered.