A BULAWAYO man duped a number of several citizens after falsely claiming to be in partnership with Provincial Affairs minister Judith Ncube in a Zanu PF poultry project to empower locals.
The suspect, Filton Madlala Mguni (66), appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Evia Matura on Monday facing fraud charges.
He pleaded not guilty and was remanded in custody to today.
One of the victims, Marvis Siziba, said Mguni tricked her into believing he was a Zanu PF member working with the minister in the poultry project.
“He claimed to be part of the Zanu PF team in charge of the poultry project and that he was working with minister Ncube. It is for that reason that I paid him some for inclusion in the so-called project,” Siziba submitted.
She said Mguni would threaten her whenever she sought answers from him demanding delivery of the chickens.
Another victim Rosemary Mleya also testified against Mguni detailing how she was duped of her money.
“Mguni would tell us to sit outside the Zanu PF offices and wait for him while he entered the building to process the papers for the chickens. He would emerge with different stories on why we could not be given the chickens on time,” Mleya said.
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She said Mguni also claimed to be in charge of the presidential goat scheme in Bulawayo.
“I called Mguni with the other women that he duped and he told me that he had gone for a funeral in Binga, while I was right behind him at a betting house in the city,” she said.
The court was told that on March 23, along Herbert Chitepo Street in the central business district, Mguni misrepresented to Siziba that he was a Zanu PF organiser in charge of empowerment projects.
He demanded US$77 from Siziba for inclusion into the chicken project saying the money would cover various expenses such as the transportation of 1 000 chicks.
Mguni did not deliver the chicks.
During the same day, Mguni allegedly deceived Sylvia Zikhali and made her pay US$52 for 1 000 chicks.
He did not deliver the chicks as promised.
Mguni duped Muleya of US$177 under the same false promises.
Another victim, Nokuthula Ncube, was duped of US$4 117.
Reports made to the police led to Mguni’s arrest.
