At any given moment in Zimbabwe, two things are almost guaranteed: someone is placing a sports bet, and someone is opening a drink. More often than not, it is the same person.

A 30-year-old Harare woman, Talent “Bhabhidho” Kwenda, has appeared before the courts facing fraud charges after allegedly swindling a local businessman out of US$2,000 through an elaborate pregnancy scam. The accused appeared before Magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai, where the state outlined a calculated scheme of manipulation and extortion that has left the complainant, prominent businessman Pax Jemwa, both financially and reputationally bruised.