A ZANU PF councillor in Bulawayo has been accused of fleecing a number of vendors after promising to ensure they are allocated vending bays in the city centre.
The vendors said ward 1 councillor, Josiah Mutangi, made them pay US$200 each for the promised vending bays last year.
Since then, Mutangi has reportedly failed to deliver even after the informal traders took him to the police in November.
“In November last year we took the matter to the police and he was directed to give us our money, but he said the stands are already there but till today we are yet to receive our money or vending stands we were promised,’’ said one disgruntled vendor. Another vendor said Mutangi has been evasive, a charge that he denied when contacted for comment.
"I don’t allocate stands; I am a councillor who works for service delivery and it not duty of the councillor to distribute stands,’’ he said.
Mutangi said he only has an association which offers loans to informal traders.
