Walter Chikondo, a corporal in the Zimbabwe National Army and security aide for Prophet Walter Magaya’s PHD Ministries, appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo on Thursday, November 6, 2025. He was granted US$600 bail and is set to return to court at a later date. This court appearance follows closely on the heels of another incident where Chikondo was charged with allegedly assaulting police officers attempting to arrest Prophet Magaya, highlighting a broader pattern of legal troubles for those associated with the prominent religious leader.

The current charges against Chikondo involve a complex car fraud scheme, as detailed by the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), the complainant in the case. The State, represented by Lancelot Mutsokoti, outlined a fraudulent operation conducted between July and August 2024. Chikondo allegedly acquired an ex-Japanese Toyota Mark X sedan at Yadah Hotel in Waterfalls, Harare, which had not been properly cleared by customs, meaning no import duty had been paid.

To legitimize the smuggled vehicle, Chikondo reportedly identified a legally registered Toyota Mark X, owned by Dumisani Dube, bearing the registration number ABX 7852. He then allegedly used these legitimate vehicle details to fraudulently apply for a change of number plates through the CID Vehicle Theft Squad. Subsequently, Chikondo engaged a clearance agent, Andrew Musoni, who presented the falsified documents to the Central Vehicle Registry, resulting in the issuance of new number plates, AGS 2550, still registered under Dumisani Dube’s name. Musoni then allegedly gave these new plates to Chikondo, who affixed them to the smuggled Toyota Mark X, effectively masking its illegal status.

The fraudulently disguised vehicle was then offered for sale. On August 29, 2024, hip-hop artist Tinashe Gonzara, known as Ti Gonzi, purchased the Toyota Mark X for US$5,000 from Chikondo at the Yadah Hotel car park, after being led there by car dealer Jarmine Rubatika. The car’s true illicit status was uncovered months later when, on January 7, 2025, detectives from the CID Vehicle Theft Squad impounded the vehicle in Mbare while Ti Gonzi was driving it. He was informed that the car was smuggled and carried fake number plates. Investigations confirmed the vehicle had no record of import, clearance, or duty payment with Zimra, which suffered a prejudice of US$3,389.55 in unpaid import duty.

For Ti Gonzi, the financial loss was even greater, alleging US$5,000, which remains unrecovered. In a separate social media post on November 4, 2025, the musician claimed his loss was US$6,000 and stated he had written to the president for assistance, feeling his case was being ignored. In his emotional plea, Ti Gonzi directly implicated an individual