Harare, (New Ziana) — Net One Cellular (Pvt) Ltd chief executive officer, Raphael Mushanawani, has challenged his arrest on fraud charges, and claimed victimisation. He was arrested last week by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on allegations of fraud involving more than US$1.2 million.
But, in a twist of the case, he has now mounted a legal challenge of his detention, saying it was politically-motivated to drive him out of Net One. Mushanawani, through his lawyer Admire Rubaya of Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, is arguing that he is being unfairly targeted, but did not name the suspected tormentors.
According to ZACC, the charges stem from a series of alleged unauthorised contracts Mushanawani approved during a major systems upgrade at Net One. Investigators say the contracts, worth over US$1.2 million, were signed without the required approvals.
But Mushanawani insists he is the victim of a “well-orchestrated ploy” by individuals eyeing his position at Net One. “Our client is aware that there are certain individuals targeting his post who are using name-dropping tactics, falsely associating powerful political figures with their agenda,” Rubaya said.
“The grand plan is to remove him and take control of Net One. These allegations are based on falsehoods and unsupported by any evidence.” Rubaya also accused ZACC of misunderstanding the technical issues at the centre of the case.
He said the contracts in question were necessary to upgrade Net One’s ageing systems, which faced severe business risks if not replaced. He explained that the company had long relied on the SAGE 1000 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system, but the system had reached the end of its life cycle.
Its developer, SAGE South Africa, had notified Net One that support and maintenance for SAGE 1000 would cease after 31 December 2024, leaving the mobile phone operator exposed to operational disruptions and cyber risks. “In those circumstances, upgrading to the SAGE L200 system was not only prudent but imperative,” said Rubaya.
“This was a viable alternative fully backed by vendor support, and it was expressly provided for in Net One’s 2025 Strategic Plan, which the board approved.” He dismissed ZACC’s claim that Mushanawani acted without board authority, stressing that the board had already sanctioned the upgrade as part of its technology modernisation programme.
“Since SAGE had been in use long before our client took office, upgrading it was a matter of necessity to protect the company from losses and potential hacking threats,” Rubaya argued.
The defence further contends that the addendums signed, which allegedly pushed the system upgrade costs to US$1.2 million, were in line with Net One’s strategic direction and did not amount to criminal conduct.
Mushanawani, who remains in custody pending bail ruling, maintains that his arrest is a deliberate attempt to tarnish his record and remove him from office.
New Ziana
