The Matrix Disciplinary and Training Centre, operated by directors Tafadzwa Chidawa and Clara Manyapera aka Royal Mint, is facing intense public backlash and allegations of fraud after numerous parents and guardians accused it of failing to deliver promised rehabilitation for delinquent children, instead subjecting them to relentless military drills without imparting any life skills.
Concerned citizens have taken to social media to express their outrage, claiming the organisation is fleecing families of their hard-earned money. One netizen, Edith Makururu, posted a scathing review, stating: “MATRIX is a scam. My relative went there for two months; he came back physically exhausted and with zero skills. All they do is isolate them and teach them nothing but do military drills whilst they pocket money. Tafadzwa Chidawa is almost a cult leader. IT IS A FRAUD.”
Another critic, Tongerai Rugare, commented on the lack of professional expertise, saying: “Rehabilitation requires trained and seasoned psychologists, not these failed ZRP officers who still want to pretend to be CID Mutorashanga and recreate their training days scenarios. This is a waste of money and shouldn’t be allowed. Dofo rinodzi Tafadzwa needs rehabilitation.”
Efforts to obtain a comment from Chidawa and Manyapera were unsuccessful, as their mobile numbers were unreachable. However, this is not the first time the centre has faced legal scrutiny.
In March this year, the two directors appeared before Harare Magistrate Rufaro Panavanhu facing charges of operating a voluntary organisation without a license and impersonating child protection officers. They were released on US$300 bail each and were ordered to return to court on April 22 for routine remand.
The State alleges that from December 2024 to the present, Chidawa and Manyapera established the Matrix Disciplinary and Training Camp to rehabilitate delinquent children without registering the organisation under the Private Voluntary Organisation Act.
Furthermore, they are accused of posing as child protection officers, offering unauthorised observation, corrections, and counselling services—a direct violation of the Children Act.
The centre, which promises to reform youth through structured discipline, is now widely perceived as a fraudulent scheme that prioritises profit over genuine care. As public condemnation grows, calls are mounting for authorities to shut down the operation and hold its directors accountable for exploiting vulnerable families and failing to provide advertised rehabilitation services.
