By Investigative Reporter | ZimEye | The Qoki Zindlovukazi program, run by UK based nurse, Sithule Tshuma and her colleagues, including HSBC banker Karen Kumalo, Portia Kumalo, and Nompilo Moyo, has been exposed as a fraudulent scheme. The program which is the brainchild of politician, Professor Welshman Ncube’s official publicist Jimmy Chasafara, has been found to have sold fake title deeds to unsuspecting victims, predominantly women, since 2017, amassing a staggering USD25 million in the process.
Sithule Tshuma was also selling farm lands which can neither be subdivided nor be sold at any time.
Every component of Qoki’s variants is fraudulent, a detailed a comprehensive investigation pack done by solicitors in both Bulawayo and Harare displays.
The paper is now the basis upon which international institutions have begun issuing refunds to victims as a stop gap measure. Recent developments have seen UK auditors red-flagging the program as a scam, further cementing its fraudulent nature.
Amid mounting pressure, over 26 aggrieved complainants have so far successfully secured refunds, with the majority of these reversals occurring between 2023 and 2024.
The most recent refund case, witnessed outside Manchester County Court on April 25, 2024, shed light on the ordeal faced by victims. The victim, identified only as Pindai, expressed gratitude for finally receiving restitution after three long years of waiting. Hers is among the four quick reversals done in the last sixty days.
Bank documents seen by ZimEye reflect the reversals under the clause: fraud.
“Three years, three years. Thank you very much. Thank you,” said Pindai when asked about the duration of the wait.
Pindai is one of the women who invested an average of over forty five thousand (45,000) US dollars per person.
When questioned about the amount and message to other affected women, Pindai urged perseverance and solidarity, citing the importance of following instructions from trusted sources like Simba and Bhudhi Ezra.
These revelations emerged as 18 victims landed in Manchester on 25 April to converge over their refunds and more ideas were exchanged on how to assist others obtain their refunds.
As the investigation unfolds, authorities are expected to delve deeper into the intricate web of deceit orchestrated by the Qoki Zindlovukazi program, bringing justice to those who have fallen victim to this elaborate scam.
The people behind the scam are principally Sithule Tshuma who is the company owner, and the syndicate’s front that involves Professor Welshman Ncube’s publicist Jimmy Chasafara who is the professor’s party calls the Baba Jukwa of Matebeleland. When contacted by ZimEye, Chasafara announced in broad terms saying “Qoki is my baby,” and said the scheme’s investment promises will not amount to anything such that even his own family will never put a cent into it. In interviews, NHS support worker who is on a £3,000 salary, boasts of amassing multiple properties in UK and Zimbabwe in the period.
Professor Welshman Ncube has not denied his involvement in the scam, saying although his firm has officially operated as the lawyer for the both complainant and defendant, he has not received any money from the scam (see tweet).
Prof @Welshman_Ncube, What Happened To The US25Million Qoki Money?
PART1: When Professor Welshman Ncube's political faction initiated its first split in 2005, it struggled to gain legislative support. However, 19 years later, the faction has amassed substantial funds, enabling… pic.twitter.com/3JZL0pQYHC
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) March 18, 2024
The third person behind the scam is HSBC banker, Karen Kumalo who is on video narrating that the scam is her personal project. She has been contacted and declined to comment over revelations that the program is fraudulent from inception.
Kumalo’s sister, Portia is also a syndicate member, while the other one is Bridget Dube.
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