BULAWAYO’S ward 1 councillor Josiah Mutangi (Zanu PF) and his alleged accomplice, Janet Zhou, have appeared in court to answer to charges of defrauding 14 vendors after they allegedly collected US$200 from each of them on the pretext that they would allocate them vending bays in the central business district.
Mutangi (49) and Zhou (44) were granted US$400 bail each by Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Mjanja and will return to court on February 27.
The court heard that after promising the 14 vending bays, they failed to fulfil their promises.
The court was told that in February last year, Mutangi and Zhou were at corner 5th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street, where they misrepresented to Chishamiso Chihota and 13 others that they had unoccupied vending bays.
The two allegedly received US$200 from each of the 14 complainants for the bays.
After failing to deliver the bays, the 14 vendors reported the matter to the police, leading to the arrest of Mutangi and Zhou.
From the collected US$2 800, nothing was recovered.
- Zanu PF councillor in trouble for defrauding vendors
