Farai Jere

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Football Administration

Jere became part of the Green Machine as a co-owner alongside fellow businessman, Twine Phiri in 2005.^[2] The joining of Farai Jere into Makepekepe saw the green machine recording some of their finest runs in the history of the premier league. The club won several cups challenges as well as back to back league titles under one of their most prolific coaches ever, Charles Mhlauri. Following a string of poor results, Jere eventually took a break from football, the break was also occasioned by shareholding disputes involving fellow shareholder, Twine Phiri. Although he remained a part of the green machine, Jere is said to have withdrawn funding into the club, throwing the club into further financial troubles. He eventually came back to the club full time around mid-2015. In the new arrangement, Jere increased his stake from 25% to 80% making him the majority shareholder, leaving Phiri with 20%.

Business Interests

Farai Jere is said to have had his breakthrough while specialising in the shipping and clearing business.^[3] He is also said to have been involved in the construction of a hotel in Harare in a joint venture with Hilton World Wide.^[4]

He is the managing director of an electrical firm, Helcraw Electrical, which has an Italian technical partner, Ansaldo Energia. Mr Jere who is the major shareholder of Helcraw Electrical said the company has since grown to become an EPC contractor from just being an electrical goods trader since inception in 2003.

Arrest

Police have arrested businessman and CAPS United boss Farai Jere, and two ZESA employees on charges of fraud involving, it is understood, the sale of electricity meters using allegedly falsified documents to prejudice Zesa by as much as US$4 million. Jere, who is better known from his soccer persona of Premier Soccer League chairman and CAPS United boss — and the two Zesa staffers were arrested on 21 August 2020 by the Special Anti-Corruption Unit (SACU), working with other law enforcement agents.

Sources close to the investigation said Jere, reported to head Helcraw Electricals, was involved in the procurement of Zesa meters, and that procurement, which could have cost Zesa up to US$4 million, is the foundation of the allegations. It is also understood that the allegations bring in a trip the three made to Britain, paid for by Zesa, but with nothing delivered.^[5]

Court Appearance

Farai Jere apprared in court on 22 August 2020 accused of swindling the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) of over US$3 million in a smart meters supply deal. He appeared before Harare magistrate Lazini Ncube jointly charged with ZETDC engineer Leonard Chisina and information and technology senior manager Freeman Chikonzo. Through their lawyers, the trio challenged their placement on remand arguing the charge did not disclose an offence. His co-accused pleaded innocence arguing that the Harare businessman fulfilled all the requirements of the deal and that the meters he supplied were actually being used by ZETDC. However, the application was dismissed and the three were placed on remand and were back in court on 24 August 2020.^[6]

Jere was back in court on 24 August 2020 in a bail bid application. Allegations that Helcraw Electricals supplied defective electricity meters were “cooked” in a bid to elbow the company out of the project, the firm’s managing director, Farai Jere, told a magistrate yesterday (24 August 2020) when giving evidence to support his application for bail on fraud charges. Jere, in his bail application, told Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube that accusations against him stemmed from other companies and individuals that want to take over the meter supply project, which he said was past the pilot stage and now ready for roll out. He was being led by defence lawyer Mr Tinofara Hove when he took the witness stand to testify during his bail application. Harare magistrate Mr Lazini Ncube adjourned the matter to 25 August 2020 for the continuation of bail application.^[7]

Jere was granted ZWL$20 000 bail by the High Court on 3 September 2020. This follows an appeal against the Harare Magistrates’ Court decision refusing him bail. Justice Pisirayi Kwenda granted the appeal by Jere citing misdirection on the part of the lower court. He has also been ordered to surrender travel documents, not to interfere with witnesses and to report once a week at the nearest police station.^[8]

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