A 22-year-old EcoCash agent cashier died in Gokwe after allegedly taking poisonous maize grain pills when he lost US$300 in a sports betting game, while a Harare pastor says the same gambling habit stripped him of more than US$350,000, his businesses, property and family life.
The two cases have placed fresh attention on the heavy financial and personal losses linked to Kandege, also known as Aviator, a fast-moving online game in which players bet on a virtual aircraft and must cash out before it disappears from the screen.
The Gokwe incident happened at Krima Business Centre on Saturday, September 19, at about 10am. The deceased was identified as Kuzivakwashe Gava, of Gava Village under Chief Madyangove in Chivi. He was employed as a cashier at an EcoCash shop.
Midlands provincial police spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed that police were investigating the circumstances surrounding Gava’s death.
“Police in Midlands are investigating circumstances surrounding a sudden death case where a 22-year-old man died after consuming a poisonous substance at Krima Business Centre, Gokwe, on September 19, 2026, at about 10am,” said Insp Mahoko.
Police allege that Gava transferred US$300 from his employer’s EcoCash agent line to his personal EcoCash line on the day of the incident. He allegedly used the money for betting and lost the entire amount.
Insp Mahoko said Gava then allegedly consumed some maize grain pills. He was taken to Krima Clinic, where he died while receiving treatment.
“Out of pain, he rushed to Krima Clinic for medical attention where he died while receiving treatment. Police are appealing to anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward,” he said.
Insp Mahoko urged people facing overwhelming circumstances to seek counselling and other forms of support instead of taking actions that could put their lives at risk.
Gava’s death came days after Wellington Chinzara, a 40-year-old pastor and founder of Power of the World Ministry, described how three years of Kandege gambling had reduced him from a property owner and businessman to a tenant struggling to rebuild his life.
Chinzara, who comes from Headman Madziya’s area under Chief Mangwende in Murewa, said he lost more than US$350,000 while chasing wins on the game. The money included church offerings and tithes, funds from his businesses and proceeds from selling property.
He said his first experience with Kandege appeared profitable. After staking US$10, he won US$150, a result that encouraged him to continue playing and to put more money into the game.
“I started by attending various major churches in the country before founding my own, Power of the World Ministry. One day, I was misled by a fellow worshipper who took me to a gambling house in the city of Harare, claiming we should go ‘look for change.’ That is when I started playing ‘kandege,'” says Pastor Chinzara.
The early win was followed by mounting losses. Chinzara said he began taking money from the church and later sold assets to continue betting and recover what he had lost.
“I started enjoying the ‘kandege’ game and began taking church offerings, tithes, and other various funds. I also had my own pavement installation company, which eventually began to collapse. I owned houses, cars, and residential stands, all of which I started selling to find money to gamble,” says Pastor Chinzara.
He said he sold six cars during the three-year period. He also sold his house in Ushewokunze and residential stands in Glaudina, Murewa, Bhora and Goromonzi.
The damage spread to his church and his construction business. Power of the World Ministry had expanded to Machipisa in Highfield, White House in Harare and Chitungwiza, but the congregations began to shrink after church funds were exhausted. His landscaping and construction company, Skylands Landscaping, also collapsed.
“Worshippers began to flee the church once I had finished the church’s money. My own family, including my wife and children, began to distance themselves. My company, Skylands Landscaping, eventually collapsed,” he said.
Chinzara said he lost his first wife and later married again. His second wife now lives in the rural areas of Murewa with their two children, who have also been affected by the collapse of the family’s finances.
“During this time, I lost my first wife. I later took another wife, who currently lives in the rural areas in Murewa. I have two children. They are all struggling because of the current situation,” says Pastor Chinzara.
He now lives as a tenant in Kuwadzana, Harare, and says he owes nearly US$10,000. He has appealed for help to revive his ministry, restart his construction company and find a permanent place to live.
“Everything I did goes against the commandments of the Bible. It was simply a matter of being deceived. I am asking for a helping hand so I can revive my ministry, restart my construction company, find a place to live, and lead a good life again. I have become the laughing stock of the nation,” he says.
Chinzara said the pressure had also affected his mental health and that he sometimes thought about taking his own life.
“Right now, I have no relatives left because of gambling. My organization collapsed. I just want help to get back on my feet,” he said.
The cases involving Gava and Chinzara follow several other incidents in Zimbabwe in which Kandege players lost borrowed money, workplace funds and family resources.
In March 2025, Gweru police officer Claude Jele died after losing about US$3,000 that he had borrowed to play Kandege. He consumed an unidentified poison after writing a note in which he said he had reached a point where he felt it was the same whether he remained on earth or left it.
In another case, Peter Muza, a 40-year-old cashier at Metro Hypermarket in Bindura, stole US$49,437 from his employer over several weeks and lost it on Aviator, also known as Chindege. The theft took place between August 8 and 29, 2025, and was uncovered during an audit after discrepancies were found between the cash he collected and the amounts deposited.
Muza was sentenced to eight years in prison, with four years suspended on conditions, leaving an effective four-year term. He had deposited less money than he collected and falsified daily reconciliation records to conceal the missing funds.
In 2026, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe general hand Petsi Napwaro was also jailed after stealing US$1,500 from an office at the central bank and losing the money on Aviator. Napwaro, 44, received an effective 36-month prison sentence after admitting that he had taken the cash and used it for online betting.
Kandege works by allowing a player to place a stake before a virtual aircraft rises. A multiplier increases as the aircraft climbs, but the player loses the stake if the aircraft disappears before the cash-out button is pressed. The uncertainty over when the flight will end has made the game popular in betting shops and on mobile phones.
The Lotteries and Gaming Board says gambling should be treated as entertainment rather than as a way to make money. The regulator says it is responsible for fairness, transparency, accountability and social responsibility in Zimbabwe’s gaming industry. It also states that gambling is prohibited for anyone under the age of 18.
The investigations into Gava’s death remain under way. Police have appealed to anyone with information about what happened at Krima Business Centre to come forward.
For families affected by gambling losses, the recent cases show how quickly money intended for workplaces, churches or households can be transferred into betting accounts and disappear. In Gokwe, the loss of US$300 ended with a young cashier’s death. In Harare, a pastor says the pursuit of bigger wins consumed a church, a business, six cars, homes, stands and his family’s security.