Woman Arrested After Selling Mt Pleasant House And Depositing US$480K In Botswana

Harare Woman Arrested For Depositing US$48OK In Botswana After Selling Mt Pleasant House

A Harare woman is in deep trouble after she allegedly sold her plush Mount Pleasant home and attempted to spirit away nearly three-quarters of the cash to Botswana, flouting the country’s exchange control laws.

Sixty-five-year-old Evelyn Sarah Bengesa appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Sheila Mupindu this week, facing charges of externalising funds. The State alleges that instead of keeping the money from the property sale within the Zimbabwean banking system, she packed hundreds of thousands of US dollars into bags and walked across the border.

Cash Stashed In Bags For Border Dash

The court heard that the trouble began after Bengesa successfully sold her upmarket residence. According to prosecutor Mr Zvikomborero Mupasa, Bengesa sold the property located at 16 Prices Avenue, Mt Pleasant, Harare, for a whopping US$660 000 (approximately R12.2 million) on August 25, 2025.

Just weeks later, she allegedly put her plan into motion. The court documents state that on September 16, 2025, she left Zimbabwe for Botswana via the Plumtree Border Post. However, she wasn’t travelling light. The State alleges she was carrying a staggering US$480 000 (approximately R8.9 million) in cash.

“The accused person allegedly left Zimbabwe for Botswana via Plumtree Border Post carrying US$480 000 cash,” prosecutor Mr Zvikomborero Mupasa told the court.

The massive amount of cash raised no eyebrows at the border post, and Bengesa reportedly made it through to Francistown without issue.

Bank Alert Triggers Freeze And Interpol Probe

Upon arriving in Francistown, Botswana, Bengesa allegedly headed straight to the bank to stash the cash. She reportedly deposited the funds into her company account held at Stanbic Bank Botswana.

However, her efforts to hide the money quickly hit a snag. The size of the deposit was so large that it triggered automatic red flags at the financial institution.

“The significant deposit raised suspicions, leading the bank to flag the transaction and freeze the account, suspecting illicit acquisition of the funds,” the court heard.

When bank officials in Botswana questioned her about the origin of the cash, Bengesa reportedly tried to explain the situation. She claimed the money was not the proceeds of crime but came from a legitimate source.

“When questioned, Bengesa claimed the money was a legitimate result of the sale of her Harare property,” sources close to the investigation revealed.

Unsatisfied with her explanation, the bank in Botswana escalated the matter, which eventually led to the involvement of Interpol. An investigation by the international police body traced the funds back to the house sale in Harare and linked them to Bengesa.

The net closed in on her when she made a critical mistake. Needing to access the frozen funds, Bengesa returned to Zimbabwe to try and get clearance for the account. Upon her arrival, she was immediately apprehended by local authorities acting on the Interpol investigation.

Bengesa has been granted bail of US$1 000 (approximately R18,500), but her freedom is severely restricted. As part of her bail conditions, she was forced to surrender both her American and Zimbabwean passports to the court clerk, ensuring she cannot make another dash for the border while the case is pending.