HARARE – A Harare magistrate has issued a warrant of arrest for socialite Admire Mushambi, popularly known as Mama Vee, after he failed to appear in court to give testimony regarding the now-infamous E-Creator Ponzi scheme. The scheme defrauded thousands of unsuspecting Zimbabweans of their hard-earned money.
Magistrate Francis Mapfumo issued the warrant after Mushambi failed to appear in court, where his associate, fellow socialite Tarisai “Madam Boss” Chikocho, was testifying. Chikocho told the court that Mushambi was the one who introduced her to the Chinese nationals accused of masterminding the multimillion-dollar pyramid scheme.
The Chinese nationals in question, Jao Zhao Jiatong and Willian Chui, are accused of allegedly masterminding the scheme. The State alleges that the pair lured the public into “investing” in a fake online platform that promised unrealistic returns.
According to the State, “Jiatong and Chui created E-Creator with the intention to dupe unsuspecting people. They misrepresented that investors would realise huge profits from their deposits when, in truth, no such investment platform existed.”
The court heard that victims were encouraged to send money through various EcoCash lines allegedly controlled by the accused. The funds, amounting to over US$250,000, were later withdrawn and converted into cryptocurrency.
During her testimony, Madam Boss told the court that Mushambi was the one who introduced her to the E-Creator scheme. “I can recall that sometime in June 2023, I was informed by Mushambi that the accused (Jiatong and Chui) wanted me to market their company, which they said was an investment platform,” she said.
She told the court that she and her manager, Fanwell Masunugure, met the accused at their Joina City offices. “They told us they wanted us to advertise their company and invite Zimbabweans to invest through the supplied link for profit. I then advertised their company on my Facebook page together with Mushambi the same day I met them. I was paid US$700 for the services.”
Chikocho added that she even invested US$100 into the scheme herself and encouraged her husband and relatives to join.
The court also heard that the accused later roped in another man, only identified as Billy, to help process the illicit transactions, while EcoCash agent Blessing Julias handled some of the withdrawals.
The E-Creator scam, which collapsed last year, left thousands counting their losses. With Mushambi now on the run, the court battle over who helped promote the fraudulent operation has taken a dramatic new turn. The case has brought into sharp focus the dangers of unregulated investment schemes and the role of social media influencers in promoting them.
The collapse of E-Creator has had a devastating impact on many Zimbabweans, some of whom invested their life savings in the hope of securing a better future. The scheme promised returns that were simply too good to be true, and many were blinded by the allure of quick riches.
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