Correspondent|A daring Harare man masquerading as a soldier spent the whole of last year enjoying free Zimbabwe National Army transport but his luck ran out when his bid to seek medical attention at an army hospital backfired.

Christopher Madanhi (34), who works at a company in Msasa as a sales representative, would enjoy free rides on a ZNA bus to and from work while posing as an army captain and using a fake force number.

Madanhi was arrested for impersonation after he had gone to Msasa Garison Logistics Camp seeking medical attention. He pleaded guilty to the charge when he appeared in court yesterday before magistrate Mrs Rumbidzai Mugwagwa.

Madanhi pleaded for the court’s leniency, saying he has a family and that he is the breadwinner. He was fined $300 (or 30 days).

The court heard that between January last year and January this year, Madanhi would board the ZNA bus after providing a fake force number.

On January 31, he proceeded to Msasa Garison Logistics Camp seeking medical attention.

He provided a fake force number and an alert soldier noted that the force number he had provided was not of a commissioned officer yet he had identified himself as a captain. Investigations followed.

Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa and Ms Tatenda Mukurunge appeared for the State.