Tendai Muererwa
​Mutare – A 40 year old educator at St Joseph’s High School in Mutare City has been hauled before the courts following allegations that she swindled two desperate job seekers of US$1,100 by pretending she could secure them employment within the civil service.
Melline Chirinda reportedly deceived the victims by claiming she possessed the necessary influence and connections in the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to fast-track their employment in exchange for cash.
​The state, led by prosecutor Sandra Mlambo, alleges that Chirinda operated under the pseudonym “Ms Martin” to execute the fraudulent scheme. In the first instance, she allegedly approached a Chigodora resident, Mercylyn Gonouya, and convinced her to pay US$550 toward a promised teaching post. After receiving the funds, the accused cut off all communication and went into evasion mode. The victim eventually tracked her down, and following an official intervention by education ministry officials, the full amount was later reimbursed.
​However, Chirinda allegedly used the exact same playbook to target a second victim, Tafadzwa Hellen Mutseyangwa, a self-employed resident living at the Mutare Rural Police Camp. Mutseyangwa was also fleeced of US$550 after being promised a teaching vacancy within a week of payment. Unlike the first complainant, she has not yet recovered her hard-earned money. The fraudulent activities were eventually reported to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) on May 20, 2026, leading to Chirinda’s arrest by anti-graft investigators on May 28, 2026.
​Presiding over the case, Mutare magistrate Honest Musiiwa granted Chirinda US$100 bail and remanded her to June 15, 2026, for the continuation of legal proceedings.
​ Law enforcement and government officials continue to warn job seekers to follow proper channels and avoid paying bribes to get employment.
