By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Harare — Zimbabwean social media personalities Madam Boss (real name Cleopatra Tarisai Munetsiwa) and Mama Vee (Admire Mushambi) are set to take the witness stand in one of the country’s most high-profile fraud cases in recent years — the E-Creator scam, which allegedly defrauded over 670 investors of US$364,647.
The two influencers are listed as key State witnesses in the ongoing trial of Zhao Jiaotong, the alleged mastermind behind E-Creator Electronics (Private) Limited, an online investment platform that collapsed in July 2023 under suspicious circumstances.
According to prosecutors, Zhao used social media advertising and influencer marketing to lure unsuspecting victims to the scheme. Pages associated with Madam Boss and Mama Vee were reportedly among those used to promote the platform, giving it an air of legitimacy that attracted hundreds of investors.
Funds were primarily transferred through EcoCash, Econet’s mobile money platform, into accounts allegedly controlled by E-Creator.
The court heard that on July 3, 2023, users were suddenly unable to access their investments. E-Creator representatives initially claimed the system was undergoing upgrades. However, just two days later, the company abruptly shut down its website, citing Zhao’s disappearance with client funds.
This triggered panic among investors and led to public outcry and criminal investigations.
Appearing before Harare Magistrate Francis Mapfumo on Tuesday, Zhao pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud. His defense attorney, Moffat Makuvatsine, argued that Zhao could not have orchestrated such a complex scam due to his limited English proficiency, and claimed he never directly communicated with or misled any of the complainants.
Zhao also denied involvement in the formation or operations of E-Creator, insisting he never received funds nor had knowledge of the alleged scam. He dismissed claims that he fled the country, saying the accusations were based on false information posted to the company’s website.
Magistrate Mapfumo postponed the case to July 17 for continuation of the trial, during which both Madam Boss and Mama Vee are expected to give testimony about their roles, if any, in promoting the E-Creator platform.
The trial is being closely followed by the public, with many eager to see whether the testimonies of the two widely-followed socialites will shed light on how deep influencer involvement ran in what prosecutors are calling one of Zimbabwe’s largest digital frauds to date.