The trial of Bulawayo Ward One councillor, Josiah Mutangi, who is facing 14 counts of fraud, has been postponed to 30 September.
Mutangi is jointly charged with Janet Zhou over allegations that in February 2024 they collected US$200 each from 14 vendors, claiming they could allocate vending spaces at the corner of 5th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street.
The pair, who are out on US$400 bail each, are represented by lawyer Constance Mathaba of Makiye and Partners.
Bulawayo provincial magistrate Abednico Ndebele postponed the case, saying both the trial magistrate and prosecutor were away on official business.
Through their lawyer, Mutangi and Zhou denied the charges. They argued they never received money from the vendors, insisting payments were made to an association tasked with securing vending bays.
The defence further claimed that vending places were allocated to the complainants in the city centre, but the group refused them, saying they did not like the location, and demanded refunds. The matter was later reported to the police, leading to the pair’s arrest.
Mutangi was recently convicted and sentenced to 30 days in prison for repeatedly defying court orders to vacate a farmhouse in Umguza, on the outskirts of Bulawayo.
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