BULAWAYO — Businesswoman Hazel Silibaziso Mafu has appeared in court again, this time facing 14 fraud charges over claims that she collected US$696,652 and ZiG1,313,670.16 from clients who wanted vehicles imported from Japan.
Mafu, the director of Hezy Motors Logistics, pleaded not guilty when she appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Lungile Ncube. She was granted US$500 bail and ordered to remain at the address supplied to the court, avoid interfering with State witnesses and report every Friday to the Commercial Crimes Division in the Northern Region.
The case was postponed to September 7, when her trial is expected to begin.
The latest charges add to a much larger fraud case in Harare, where Mafu is facing 79 counts involving scores of clients. In that matter, the State alleges that more than US$624,000 and ZiG1,275,878.35 were taken through a vehicle-importation scheme. Her Harare trial is scheduled to start on September 2.
The State alleges that Mafu slipped out of the country on 19 March 2026, departing through Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport. Just weeks later, while the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) were searching for her, she appeared to mock the authorities by posting a photograph on Facebook from Osaka, Japan.
“On the other side of the world closing deals and building an empire,” she told her followers on 16 April, attaching a photograph of herself standing with two businessmen. “This journey has not been easy, but every sacrifice, every sleepless night, every door that was slammed in my face built the woman standing here today. To everyone who believed in me, prayed for me, cheered for me quietly and loudly THANK YOU.”
To the victims back in Harare, these “sacrifices” appeared to be entirely theirs. While Mafu was “building an empire” in Japan and celebrating her birthday in four different European cities — including Rome, Paris, and Madrid — her clients were frantically checking bank balances and calling unanswered phone lines.
The two cases centre on the same business model. Clients were allegedly told that Hezy Motors Logistics would find, purchase and ship cars from Japan after they paid a 50 per cent deposit, with the balance due when the vehicle arrived. Instead, the court heard, a number of customers were left without cars, refunds or reliable contact with the company.
Prosecutor Siphiwe Mhlanga told the court that the company operated from offices at the corner of Fife Street and 11th Avenue in Bulawayo. The alleged victims approached the business seeking a range of cars, including Toyota Vitz, Toyota Aqua, Nissan, Nissan AD and Honda Fit models.
“The first complainant paid US$3 940 to Hezy Motors Logistics (Pvt) Limited, but the accused failed to purchase the vehicle. When attempts to contact her failed, the matter was reported to police,” said Ms Mhlanga.
In May 2026, another complainant allegedly paid US$4,634 and ZWG37,791.81 towards a Toyota Vitz valued at US$6,500. The vehicle was not bought, and Mafu allegedly became unreachable.
“The complainant paid US$4 634 and ZWG37 791,81 to Hezy Motors Logistics (Pvt) Limited towards the purchase of the car, but the car was never bought and the accused allegedly went into hiding. Using the same modus operandi, the court heard that another victim paid US$8 901 for the purchase of a Nissan but, after paying, the accused went into hiding, while another victim who wanted a Toyota Vitz lost US$4 893,00 after paying it to the accused,” the court heard.
The alleged losses continued across several transactions. A customer seeking a Nissan AD van paid US$2,200 and received a receipt, but after two weeks of waiting she was told to be patient. She later concluded that she had been duped and reported the matter.
Another woman paid US$7,977 for a Toyota Aqua. Repeated efforts to recover the money were unsuccessful, the court heard. A separate complainant approached Mafu at her offices over a Honda Fit valued at US$6,900 and paid US$4,000 in one instalment and US$1,608 in a second payment.
“The victim paid a first instalment of US$4 000 and a second payment of US$1 608. The accused then switched off her phone and subsequent visits to her office yielded nothing,” the court heard.
A further Toyota Aqua buyer allegedly paid US$5,708 before losing contact with the company. Another client is said to have lost US$3,961 after the money was received, while a second complainant in a separate transaction allegedly paid US$5,708.
The court also heard of a customer who paid US$3,200 for a car advertised at the same value but was met with what the prosecution described as empty promises. On the same day, another complainant paid US$4,772 towards a Honda Fit, only to return to the offices a week later and find that Mafu was not there. The matter was then reported to police.
In another transaction, a customer seeking a vehicle valued at US$9,000 allegedly paid US$3,000 first and US$3,450 later. After the second payment, Mafu’s mobile number went straight to voicemail. A woman who wanted a Toyota Aqua also paid US$3,800 after being told that Mafu imported vehicles from Japan. She was asked to return after two weeks, but could not find Mafu when she went back.
The investigation in Bulawayo was later handled by the Commercial Crimes Division in the Southern Region, leading to Mafu’s arrest and the latest court proceedings.
Detective Sergeant Richard Maravanyika told a Harare court that electronic equipment was being moved from the offices before detectives arrived. He said the equipment was intercepted during the operation.
“Investigations revealed that Hazel had ordered that the equipment be removed from the offices before the police search,” Det Sgt Maravanyika submitted. “This demonstrates her propensity to interfere with investigations and conceal evidence.”
Mafu was later arrested after presenting herself to police in the company of her lawyer, following a period in which warrants of arrest had been issued. The State opposed bail in the Harare matter, citing the circumstances surrounding her absence and the alleged movement of equipment from the offices. She was nevertheless granted US$500 bail by the High Court, with a condition that she report weekly to the Commercial Crimes Division in Harare’s Northern Region.
The vehicle-importation cases have emerged as police warn of a wider rise in scams carried out through online platforms. In a separate Harare case reported in June, a 31-year-old car dealer, Caution Madiro Chikonamombe, was arrested over three alleged fake importation deals involving US$9,000 for a Honda Grace, US$5,000 paid as a vehicle deposit and another alleged loss of US$12,100.
The Criminal Investigations Department said investigators had recorded several related cases involving people who present themselves as vehicle agents or dealers online. Detective Inspector Rachel Muteweri urged members of the public to verify transactions before making payments and to report suspicious dealings promptly.
The official vehicle-importation process requires more than a payment receipt or a promise that a car has been shipped. Zimbabwe Revenue Authority guidance says an importer must make a declaration on Form 47 and produce documents such as an invoice or agreement of sale, an export bill of entry, a freight statement, an insurance statement and, where applicable, a registration book and police clearance certificate. ZIMRA also says it may reassess the value of a used vehicle and warns that false declarations are an offence.
For the 14 Bulawayo complainants, however, the central issue before the court is what happened after the deposits were paid. The prosecution says the promised vehicles were not delivered and that communication stopped as customers began demanding answers.
Mafu remains on bail while both cases move towards trial. The Bulawayo matter returns to court on September 7, shortly after the Harare case is due to begin on September 2.