Five Arrested in Harare for Unlicensed Selling of Starlink Kits

Five men were arrested in Harare over the weekend for allegedly selling Starlink kits without the required licensing, according to The Herald. Polite Jamba (28), Ngoni Mandiwo (29), Denver Ndebele (26), Tinotenda Vambe (26), and Lennin Mhiripiri (26) were detained following a Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Highlands operation. 

Acting on a tip-off, detectives located Ndebele and Mandiwo at a shop in Harare’s Easy Walk Mall, where they were reportedly selling Starlink Gen 2 kits. Additional unlicensed Starlink equipment was subsequently found in the possession of the other three men, leading to the arrest of all five individuals.

The total value of the seized equipment is estimated at US$1,350, and the suspects are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.

Starlink, a satellite internet service by SpaceX, went live in Zimbabwe in September 2024, aiming to provide high-speed connectivity across the country, including in rural and underserved areas. In response to this service launch, the government has implemented strict licensing regulations, allowing only authorized resellers—such as Aura Group and TelOne—to sell and distribute Starlink kits legally.

The government has advised individuals who may have imported Starlink kits independently to regularize their equipment through approved channels. This regulatory framework intends to ensure legal compliance and oversight, creating a structured marketplace for satellite internet services in Zimbabwe.

For Zimbabwe’s tech community and potential Starlink users, working through licensed distributors helps facilitate compliance and aligns with the government’s efforts to make satellite internet accessible within a regulated environment.