NetOne chief executive Raphael Mushanawani has been placed on forced leave, just months after being cleared of fraud charges linked to the procurement of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system.
Sources familiar with developments at the state-owned mobile network said Chief Technical Officer Chris Muchechemera has assumed the role of acting chief executive.
Muchechemera joined NetOne after previously serving as Digital Innovation Director at TelOne.
Although no official reason has been publicly announced for Mushanawani’s forced leave, multiple sources say the move follows growing tensions over commercial decisions within the company and an escalating political power struggle.
According to insiders, Mushanawani has remained closely aligned with former Information Communication Technology, Postal and Courier Services Minister Jenfan Muswere, who played a key role in his appointment as NetOne chief executive in 2021.
Muswere, who served as ICT minister between 2019 and 2023, also appointed Mushanawani to the Zimpapers board after moving to the Ministry of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services in 2023.
He was reassigned to the Ministry of Skills Audit and Development in February this year.
Sources say Mushanawani’s perceived loyalty to Muswere, rather than his current line minister Tatenda Mavetera, has created friction within the ministry, with disagreements reportedly extending to controversial commercial transactions at NetOne.
The mobile operator has long faced allegations of governance failures and procurement irregularities.
Cleared of fraud charges
Mushanawani’s removal from active duty comes less than a year after he successfully fought fraud charges relating to the procurement of software upgrades for NetOne’s financial management systems.
In November 2025, Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa removed him from remand, ruling that there was no evidence linking him to the alleged offences.
The charges stemmed from claims that Mushanawani authorised an upgrade of NetOne’s SAGE 1000 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system without board approval.
The disputed upgrade, undertaken by Lunartech Solutions (Pvt) Ltd, was valued at more than US$1.2 million.
Prosecutors alleged the work was commissioned while another company, Farevic Systems (Pvt) Ltd, was implementing a separate US$3.5 million ERP replacement project.
Mushanawani consistently denied wrongdoing.
His lawyer, Admire Rubaya, argued that investigators from the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) had misunderstood the technical differences between the two systems.
Rubaya told the court that the existing SAGE 1000 platform had reached its end-of-support phase after SAGE South Africa advised that maintenance would cease from December 31, 2024, making the upgrade necessary to ensure continuity of business operations.
He further argued that NetOne’s board had already approved the company’s 2025 strategic plan, which included the migration to the upgraded system.
The court ultimately ruled there was insufficient evidence to prosecute Mushanawani.
Before his arrest, his legal team had accused unnamed individuals of using the anti-corruption investigation as part of a broader campaign to remove him from office.
In correspondence addressed to ZACC, the lawyers alleged there was “a well-orchestrated ploy” by rivals seeking to take control of NetOne.
Recent recognition
Despite the legal battle, Mushanawani continued to receive recognition for his leadership.
In May, he was inducted into the 2026 Business Hall of Fame during an awards ceremony organised by The Champions Africa, which honours outstanding corporate and SME leaders.
Accepting the award, Mushanawani dedicated the recognition to NetOne employees.
“It would not have been possible were it not for the team that I work with. It is a diversified team, but what keeps us together is the spirit of success. I’m grateful for the support that they have given to me,” he said.
It remains unclear how long Mushanawani will remain on forced leave or whether the development signals a broader shake-up at Zimbabwe’s second-largest mobile network operator.
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