Fugitive fraudster nabbed after 9 yrs
By Cynthia Dube
A man from Bulawayo who was on the run for nine years after allegedly defrauding a resident of P26 000 has been arrested.
Zenzo Sibanda (53) of Selbourne Park suburb is also accused of duping another resident of $15 000 by selling him a house that did not belong to him in 2015.
A court heard that Sibanda conned Mr Michael Nyoni (29) and Mr Thembinkosi Mlauzi (49).
He appeared before magistrate Ms Sithembiso Ncube facing two counts of fraud yesterday.
Ms Ncube did not ask him to plead and remanded him in custody to April 19.
Prosecuting, Mr Alfonse Makonese said in 2008, Sibanda placed an advertisement in a local newspaper that he was selling a stand in Emganwini suburb.
“Mlauzi saw the advertisement and responded by visiting the accused’s offices at Ramjis Complex. The complainant told the accused person that he was interested in buying the stand and deposited P14 500 into the accused’s bank account,” said Mr Makonese.
“The complainant later paid instalments making a full total payment of P26 000. The accused converted the money into his personal use before even showing the Mlauzi the stand. After that, he changed his address and contact details and was nowhere to be found.”
In March 2015, Sibanda placed another advertisement in a local newspaper that he was selling a house in Old Luveve Suburb.
“On March 10, 2015 Nyoni went to visit the accused person in his office which was at Nicoz building. The accused person introduced Nyoni to Sitemamulus Ncube as the seller of the house and himself as an estate agent. However, the house was in the name of Ntombana Ncube, Sitemamulus’ late sister,” said Mr Makonese.
The court heard that a memorandum of agreement was drafted by Sibanda between two parties.
“The accused person received $15 000 from Nyoni as payment for the house on the pretext that he would deduct $4 000 for his commission and surrender $11 000 to Ncube,” said Mr Makonese.
The prosecutor said Sibanda converted the money to his personal use and did not give Ncube anything.
Mr Makonese said Nyoni discovered that he was duped after two weeks when he wanted to occupy the house.
“Efforts to locate the accused person were fruitless as he was already on the run. The complainant made a report to the police leading to the accused person’s arrest,” he said.The Chronicle
