3.6HA MANDARA PROPERTY & LUXURY HILUX FORFEITED TO STATE

HARARE – In a significant legal victory in Zimbabwe’s fight against economic crime, the High Court has ordered the civil forfeiture of a 3.6‑hectare upmarket Mandara property and a luxury Toyota Hilux linked to former NetOne Cellular cashier Daniel Kalira, finding they were likely purchased with proceeds of massive airtime fraud worth ZWL$108 million.

A judgment delivered on January 14, 2026, by Justice Benjamin Chikowero upheld an application by the Prosecutor‑General under the Money Laundering and Proceeds of Crime Act, concluding that the assets were acquired through illegal means and concealed through sham ownership structures.

What Happened Before Forfeiture

Kalira was arrested in 2022 by the Zimbabwe Anti‑Corruption Commission (ZACC) amid allegations that he defrauded state‑owned telecommunications firm NetOne of ZWL$108 million in airtime vouchers between 2021 and 2022. Prosecutors allege he manipulated inventory systems to create fictitious airtime “stock” which he then stole.

Instead of holding the stolen proceeds in cash, investigators say Kalira secretly ploughed the funds into high‑value assets, including:

• Stand 913 in Mandara Township, an estate bought for about US$52,000 in December 2021, and
• A Toyota Hilux double cab, registered in the name of his former partner, Charlotte Chivavarirwa.

To hide his tracks, Kalira is accused of registering the Mandara stand in the name of his grandmother, Harriet Kalira. The State maintained this was a front used to conceal the true source of funds.

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What the Court Found

In dismissing the defence claims, Justice Chikowero minced no words:

Kalira claimed the Mandara purchase was funded by a “gratuity” from his grandmother’s former employer in Australia, but the judge ruled the story fictitious, noting there was no evidence of lawful money movement from Australia to Cape Town to Harare.

Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) officials testified that the border declaration forms presented as evidence were fraudulent, with date stamps that had been decommissioned and fonts that did not match official records.

On the Hilux, Chikowero rejected claims by Kalira’s partner that it was bought from proceeds of a gold mining joint venture, calling the agreement a sham intended to mislead investigators.

The judge emphasised a key legal principle in civil forfeiture cases: the State does not need to prove guilt “beyond reasonable doubt” as in criminal trials, only that it is more probable than not that the assets are proceeds of criminal conduct.

Court Order & Next Steps

Justice Chikowero ordered the Mandara property and the Toyota Hilux be transferred to the State within seven days, with the Sheriff of the High Court authorised to effect the transfers if respondents fail to comply.

Other luxury vehicles mentioned in the original application were spared after the State conceded they were acquired before the alleged fraud began. Each party was also ordered to bear their own legal costs.

Kalira’s separate criminal trial for fraud and money laundering continues at the Harare Magistrates Court, where he faces charges related to the airtime theft.