By A Correspondent| Eight employees linked to Robert Mugabe International Airport, including two staff members from Zimbabwe’s National Handling Services (NHS), appeared in court this week over allegations of orchestrating the illegal transit of 23 Ethiopian nationals through Harare to Eswatini.
The accused—Gloria Chikukwa (27) and Ashley Zhaimu (27) of NHS, alongside immigration officers Vincent Shoshore (45)Gondoza Sunday (39), Terrence Mangwende (43),Innocent Tawanda Hamandishe (54), and security officials *Elliot Nhapi and Moses Tawanda Mutambai (29)—were remanded in custody by Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa pending a bail hearing Thursday.
The National Handling Services (NHS), a key ground operations company at Zimbabwe’s major airports, faced scrutiny after its employees allegedly abused their positions to facilitate the smuggling scheme.
According to prosecutors, Chikukwa and Zhaimu—both NHS workers—reportedly escorted the Ethiopians through the airport’s restricted VIP route and concealed them overnight in the Vakacha Lounge, a premium facility reserved for dignitaries.
The Department of Immigration Control, led by Regional Immigration Officer Chakawuya Leslie, detailed how the group manipulated airport protocols.
“The accused wedged doors open with paper to bypass security checks, enabling unauthorised movement,” the court heard.
The operation unfolded over two days in March 2025. On March 15, five Ethiopians arrived on Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 873 and were hidden by the accused. The following day, 19 more Ethiopians arrived on two additional flights (ET 873 and ET 34). Prosecutors allege NHS staff and immigration officials collaborated to falsify manifests, listing the Ethiopians as Russians, Turks, Indians, and Malawiansto evade detection.
By evening, all 23 individuals boarded Eswatini Airlines Flight RN401 to Manzini. The scheme unraveled when Eswatini authorities discovered the passengers lacked valid transit visas. Subsequent investigations exposed the falsified documents and implicated the Zimbabwean officials.