A general hand at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe broke into a locked office through a slightly open window, stole cash from a desk drawer, and lost the entire amount in a popular online game. A court in Harare sentenced him to an effective custodial sentence of 36 months in prison.
Who was charged in the criminal caseThe defendant in the theft case at the country’s central bank, 44-year-old Pets Napwaro, lives on George Drive in the Masasa area of Harare. He held the position of a general hand at the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ). In court, Napwaro pleaded guilty to the theft charge.
Whose money went missingThe victim in the case was RBZ asset manager Benard Kenneth Chitenje. The sum of $1,500 in cash was kept in a desk drawer in his office. By Zimbabwean standards, where the average monthly public-sector salary is far lower than this figure, the stolen funds were a very substantial amount.
9:30 a.m., a locked office, and an empty drawerThe theft occurred on April 25, 2026. At around 9:30 a.m., Chitenje locked his office and left the room, leaving the cash in the drawer. It was during his absence that the money disappeared.
The method of entry turned out to be surprisingly simple. One of the office windows was left slightly open. Napwaro used a chair to climb through the window opening and get inside without any permission. After taking the banknotes, he left the room the same way and went unnoticed.
The missing cash was discovered after Chitenje returnedWhen the asset manager returned to his workplace and opened the desk drawer, the money was no longer there. He reported it to the police immediately. The ensuing investigation led to Napwaro’s arrest.
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During questioning, the defendant confessed and explained what happened to the stolen funds. According to him, the entire amount was ‘spent’ on bets in the Aviator online game, also known in Zimbabwe by the local name Kandege. Notably, Napwaro placed his bets through other people’s accounts, apparently trying to cover his tracks. He later led detectives to the scene and showed them how he carried out the theft.
Unfortunately, such cases in Zimbabwe are no longer uncommon. The popularity of gambling in the country is on the rise, and more and more international operators are entering the local market.
The platforms Napwaro used to place bets have long been operating far beyond Africa. To see this, it is enough to compare the brands available in Harare with those available in the U.S., Europe, or offering no-deposit free spins in Canada. There turn out to be surprisingly many matches across these перечнях. The globalization of gambling means that the same mechanics, like Aviator, are equally addictive for players on different continents. The difference is in the consequences: in some places, a loss remains a personal problem, while in others, as in Napwaro’s case, it ends in a criminal case.
How the court heard the caseThe case was heard by Magistrate Mahi Ayanda Dlamini. The prosecution was led by Prosecutor Takudzwa Mutyavavri. The prosecutor reconstructed the timeline of events in detail, emphasizing the key circumstances:
- the victim had securely locked the office before leaving;
- the defendant used a slightly open window and a chair to gain entry;
- $1,500 in cash was taken from the desk drawer;
- Napwaro left the scene unnoticed.
“While inside the office, the defendant took $1,500 in cash and fled,” the prosecutor noted during the hearing.
Thirty-six months behind barsThe final effective term Napwaro must serve is 36 months in prison. The sentencing math is as follows: the court imposed 57 months’ imprisonment, but 12 months were suspended for five years, and another 10 months were suspended on condition that he fully repaid the loss (restitution).
The stolen $1,500 was returned in full, as shown by the court records. Thus, the story of the slightly open window, the chair, and online betting ended for the 44-year-old general hand with three years in prison.