Beverly Aisha Ndonda and her husband, Clark Clever Makoni have been aquitted of fraud involving former Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor Gideon Gono.
Beverly Ndonda and her husband were accused of fraudulently transferring the former governor’s properties into their names and allegedly defrauding him of over $100,000 to $137 million. The couple had previously been hired by Gono to manage his properties.
The High Court quashed the charges against the couple, ruling that the charges were fatally defective and the lower court magistrate had erred in law. This judgment effectively saw the couple walk free, as there are no criminal charges currently pending against them.
Timeline of the Case
The publicly reported timeline of key events in the case is as follows:
- July 2017: Gideon Gono engaged the Makonis to manage his properties, including Valley Lodge. This was the beginning of the business relationship that later led to the dispute.
- Late 2024 (Approx. October): The couple was arrested, and the high-profile fraud trial began in a lower court. They denied all charges, alleging the case was a ploy by Gono.
- May 2025: A state witness testified against the couple, with the defense challenging the evidence presented.
- July 2025: The defense made an application for discharge, strongly challenging the legality of their arrest and arguing there was no evidence linking them to the alleged offenses.
- September 2025: The lower court magistrate dismissed their application for discharge, ruling that the State had provided enough evidence to warrant a trial. The couple then lodged an appeal with the High Court.
- October 2025: The start of their defense case in the lower court was delayed as the couple pursued their urgent application in the High Court to stay the proceedings.
- November 29, 2025: The High Court acquitted the couple by quashing the charges against them. Justice Regis Dembure ruled that the charges were “fatally defective” and the lower court had erred in law by dismissing the discharge application. This judgment effectively ended the criminal case against them.
