Rutendo Ngara
A HARARE man has appeared in court on allegations of kidnapping an employee to extract sensitive political and corporate intelligence.
Simbarashe Emmanuel Martin Rondozai appeared before magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai for trial on charges of kidnapping David Mutanda.
The accused was remanded out of custody to July 8 for the continuation of proceedings.
The State alleges that on an unknown date in May 2025 at around 9pm, the accused, acting in connivance with four others, drove to the complainant’s residence in a silver Honda Fit.
Upon arrival, two unidentified accomplices approached the house and knocked on the door, while Rondozai remained in the vehicle with two other men.
“The two who knocked identified themselves to the complainant as police officers and told him that he was under arrest. They took the complainant to their vehicle. Upon arrival at the accused person’s vehicle, the complainant managed to identify Rondozai, who was his manager at Real Star Security,” the State alleges.
The court heard that the accused person and his accomplices, who remain at large, assaulted the complainant on his cheeks using open hands, before handcuffing, blindfolding, and driving away with him to an unknown destination.
While inside the motor vehicle, the accused threatened the complainant with unknown action if he ever implicated Rondozai in the event that the complainant was arrested for any misappropriation of funds at Real Star Security.
Furthermore, the accused allegedly demanded information regarding how Real Star Security provided security to its corporate superiors and how it secured its contracts.
“ The accused further threatened the complainant with unspecified action if he ever reported the matter to the police,” court papers state.
Mutanda was later dumped near a bridge along New Chitungwiza Road. Fearing for his life due to the severe threats, the complainant fled to South Africa, where he remained until December 2025.
Court documents indicate that Mutanda was held in detention for eight hours against his will before being abandoned.