2 Kwekwe Men Jailed For Hacking Econet In US$12,436 Airtime Scam — But Most Of Their Sentences Were Suspended

Econet Hacking Scam Lands 2 Kwekwe Men In Jail, But Their Sentences Take A Turn

Two men from Kwekwe have been jailed for hacking into Econet Wireless Zimbabwe’s computer system and exploiting airtime transactions in a scam that cost the telecommunications company US$12,436.52 (approximately R204,000). However, most of their 36-month prison sentences were suspended, leaving each man with eight months to serve behind bars.

Dumisani Mutwazi, 33, and Tanaka Tayero, 27, were convicted at the Kwekwe Magistrates’ Court for unlawfully accessing the company’s system and distributing airtime access codes for cash.

How The Econet Airtime Hacking Scam Was Exposed

The offences took place between 25 June and 10 July 2025. The scheme was discovered on 11 July 2025, when an Econet corporate fraud specialist noticed suspicious patterns while examining purchases made through Yomix and EcoCash.

Investigators established that airtime bundles had been repeatedly purchased and distributed to several people in exchange for cash. The company’s reported loss amounted to US$12,436.52 (approximately R204,000), and no money had been recovered by the time of the case.

Why The Kwekwe Men Will Serve Only 8 Months

Each man received a 36-month prison sentence. The court suspended 10 months for five years on condition of good behaviour and a further 18 months on condition that each completes 630 hours of community service.

This leaves eight months of each sentence to be served in prison.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA) warned that cybercrime has consequences for businesses and the wider economy.

“Cybercrime undermines business confidence and causes financial losses. Perpetrators of such illegal activities will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” the NPA said.

The case ends with both men facing prison time and community service, while Econet’s reported financial loss remains unrecovered.