Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – March 21, 2025

Bulawayo socialite Brendon Shoko, widely known as “Breezy,” has been arrested in connection with an elaborate forgery scandal that has shocked the city. Shoko (28) allegedly teamed up with his girlfriend, Priscah Chipeta (38), also known as Gugulethu Banda, and an accomplice, Knowledge Mhlanga (41), to defraud a local woman of US$560.

According to court papers, the trio is accused of swindling Ms Phethekile Madonko, who had entrusted Chipeta with the funds to pay her child’s school fees at Gloag High School. Instead, the accused allegedly diverted the funds for personal use and conspired to forge CBZ Bank deposit slips to give the false impression that the fees had been settled.

The scam unraveled when Gloag High School contacted Ms Madonko, reminding her of the outstanding fees, which led to a confrontation with Chipeta. Despite Chipeta’s vehement denial of wrongdoing, Ms Madonko proceeded to file a police report, resulting in the arrest of the three suspects.

The accused appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Maxwell Ncube on Thursday, where they were remanded in custody pending a bail hearing scheduled for today. The State is being represented by prosecutor Ms Mufaro Ndirayire.

The case details two separate incidents. On January 7, Ms Madonko handed Chipeta US$350 to deposit into the school’s CBZ Bank account. Instead, Chipeta allegedly converted the money for personal use and sought the help of Shoko, who in turn enlisted Mhlanga to forge a deposit slip.

A second incident occurred on February 20, when Ms Madonko gave Chipeta an additional US$210 for the same purpose. Once again, the funds were allegedly misappropriated, and the accused are said to have repeated the forgery scheme.

The scandal has sparked outrage and concern over the exploitation of trust in the community, particularly in matters involving children’s education.

More details to follow as the story develops.