Fraud and a Fugitive: Inside ADRA Zimbabwe’s million dollar fraud

By The Spectrum Magazine

The financial scandal rocking ADRA Zimbabwe (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) has taken a dramatic turn. New evidence and eyewitness testimony obtained by Spectrum confirm that the agency’s now former Country Director, Judith Musvosvi, was not unaware of internal fraud—she was a central figure in a coordinated scheme to embezzle nearly $1.5 million from one of the Adventist Church’s largest humanitarian operations in Southern Africa.

The revelation follows Spectrum’s earlier report detailing the arrest of Fortune Goredema, ADRA Zimbabwe’s former finance director, who is currently facing multiple fraud charges. Now, a whistleblower, identified as a former senior staff member who served as programs director, has come forward to confirm that Goredema acted with Musvosvi’s knowledge and complicity.

“Fortune didn’t act alone. Judith was involved. She overpaid herself, received unauthorized loans, and surrounded herself with allies who protected her,” the whistleblower said in an on-the-record interview with Spectrum.

Inside the Scheme: Bank Access, Bogus Loans, Board Capture, and Procurement Fraud

The former senior staff member told Spectrum that he, Musvosvi, and Goredema were the three official signatories to ADRA Zimbabwe’s bank accounts. While formally listed, he said he was never granted login credentials or access, making it impossible for him to review or approve transactions.

“I later learned my credentials were being used without my knowledge, possibly by Fortune or a senior accountant, to authorize payments,” he said. “That was when things started to unravel.”

According to the whistleblower, Musvosvi and Goredema awarded their own accounts unauthorized personal loans of around $37,000 each, which were never repaid. Instead, they funnelled revenue from ADRA’s borehole-drilling business to make it appear as if the loans were being serviced.

When the drilling equipment broke down and income dried up, the payments stopped, exposing the falsified loan repayments.

In addition, Goredema overpaid his own account by over $118,000—a claim now supported by the internal forensic audit conducted by the General Conference Auditing Service (GCAS) and the international firm Baker Tilly. Musvosvi allegedly approved these overpayments and also received inflated mileage reimbursements and other financial benefits not available to other directors.

“They justified the discrepancy by claiming they were ‘church employees’ and therefore entitled to extra benefits,” said the whistleblower, noting that both his predecessor and successor as programs director experienced the same treatment.

Musvosvi allegedly staffed the ADRA Zimbabwe board with church members from her local congregation, many of whom were personal friends. Over 60 percent of board members, the whistleblower estimated, were connected to her either socially or through the church.

“That’s why no real oversight happened,” the whistleblower shared. “Even when concerns were raised, they were dismissed. I was eventually transferred to for speaking up.”

He further alleged that one of these board members tipped off Musvosvi after the arrest of Goredema, helping her avoid Zimbabwean authorities.

Another flashpoint occurred in 2023 during a USAID-funded livestock project. Musvosvi allegedly colluded with suppliers to provide lower-quality local goats while billing the agency for premium imported breeds. The price discrepancy, up to $380 per goat, allowed Musvosvi and associates to pocket the difference.

Similarly, she reportedly demanded kickbacks from suppliers of solar panels and water tanks in exchange for contract awards—behaviour in direct violation of ADRA’s procurement policies.

“What happened wasn’t just unethical, it was systematic,” said the whistleblower. “And it was protected from the top down.”

According to the same source, Musvosvi ran the organization as a dictatorship, with a leadership style defined by exclusion, retaliation, and abuse. Since 2020, ADRA Zimbabwe has had four different programs directors, each reportedly pushed out after raising concerns or refusing to enable unethical practices.

Fleeing Justice

Musvosvi, who led ADRA Zimbabwe’s office from 2013 until late 2024, fled the country just days after Goredema’s arrest. Her escape was first reported in a now-removed article by ZIMLive, which stated that she travelled by bus to South Africa before boarding a flight to Romania, ostensibly to attend her niece’s wedding.

Though the original ZIMLive report has since been taken down—allegedly due to its direct mention of controversial businessman Kudakwashe Tagwirei and his links to the attempted takeover of ADRA Zimbabwe, Spectrum has independently confirmed the escape route with two sources: a former senior ADRA Zimbabwe official who served as a whistleblower, and a second source based in Harare, Zimbabwe, familiar with the situation.

Both confirmed that Musvosvi received a tip-off from a board member, according to the whistleblower, warning of imminent arrest, prompting her to flee the country via land and air to evade prosecution.

Zimbabwe has no extradition treaty with Romania, raising serious doubts about whether she will ever be brought back to face justice.

Multiple sources familiar with the situation believe the article’s removal was due to fears of retaliation, especially given Musvosvi’s alleged ties to politicians and high-ranking church leaders, which many believe could shield her from prosecution.

“Everyone is afraid of victimization,” the whistleblower said. “No one wants to be a witness because she has protection.”

A Second Source Offers a Divergent View

In the course of Spectrum’s reporting, we also spoke with another former ADRA Zimbabwe staff member, who worked closely with both Musvosvi and Goredema. He painted a more sympathetic portrait of the former country director.

“I believe Judith overtrusted Fortune,” he said. “She gave him too much autonomy, and he took advantage of that trust.”

Still, this former staffer acknowledged that the lack of oversight and the cultural deference given to Musvosvi as a pastor’s wife contributed to an environment where fraud could flourish unchecked.

ADRA Zimbabwe Responds Cautiously

Following the arrest of finance director Goredema and growing public scrutiny, ADRA Zimbabwe issued a statement on May 31, 2025, confirming that financial irregularities were identified in September 2024 and promptly reported to ADRA International. A comprehensive audit by GACAS followed, uncovering multiple instances of suspected misconduct by a senior leader.

“ADRA parted ways with the individual involved,” the statement said, adding that Zimbabwean authorities were informed, and the agency has fully cooperated with the resulting investigation and arrest.

ADRA Zimbabwe emphasized its commitment to ethical conduct and financial accountability, noting that corrective steps have been taken and the national board is now overseeing operations.

While the statement refers only to the arrest of the finance director, it does not mention Musvosvi, the Country Director who fled the country and was later implicated by whistleblowers and audit findings. Spectrum reached out for an updated comment and received a response from ADRA International’s Director of Digital Marketing and Development:

“As this is still an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment. Additionally, since this is a local issue, all communication will come from the ADRA Zimbabwe office, where appropriate.”

To date, ADRA Zimbabwe has issued no follow-up clarification about Musvosvi’s involvement or her departure from the country.

Meanwhile, according to local media, multiple requests for comment from the Zimbabwe East Union Conference, under which ADRA Zimbabwe operates, have gone unanswered.

Notably, no disciplinary action has been announced against Musvosvi’s husband, and he remains an active local church pastor in Zimbabwe.

Church members and aid partners alike are expressing growing frustration over the silence.

What Comes Next?

In the wake of recent USAID funding cuts and mounting scrutiny of donor accountability, the Zimbabwean government has launched an investigation into allegations of embezzlement, expanding its focus to potential money laundering through donor-funded projects. This raises concerns about the organization’s credibility and future viability in the humanitarian sector.

Its ability to continue operating is now under serious threat. The tax and pension debts alone exceed $1.3 million, a burden the organization is unlikely to be able to repay without external rescue.

The ADRA Zimbabwe fraud case raises urgent questions, not just about one agency’s failure, but about the systems of protection, patronage, and silence that made it possible.

With nearly one million Adventists in Zimbabwe and over 2,500 local churches, the integrity of the denomination’s flagship humanitarian agency is under siege. The case has already delayed projects proposed to aid people living with HIV, facing food insecurity, as well as those in vulnerable rural communities.

For now, Goredema remains out on bail pending trial on July 7. Musvosvi—if not extradited—may never face accountability. However, as the former senior staff member told Spectrum, the damage extends far beyond the stolen funds.