A Zanu PF councillor in Bulawayo is expected to stand trial later this month over allegations of defrauding 14 informal traders of more than US$2 000 by falsely promising them vending bays in the city centre.
Ward 1 Councillor Josiah Mutangi and his alleged accomplice, Janet Zhou, are accused of collecting US$200 each from the vendors in February 2024, claiming they could allocate them vending spaces at the corner of 5th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street.
The pair are currently out on bail US$400 bail each. Their trial is set to begin on 20 August 2025, before Bulawayo magistrate Shepherd Munjanja.
According to the state, in February last year, Mutangi and Zhou allegedly met with the vendors at the corner of 5th Avenue and Herbert Chitepo Street, where they falsely claimed to have available vending spaces.
The vendors, believing the two, paid US$200 each for the bays. However, the pair reportedly failed to fulfill their promises and never provided the agreed-upon vending spaces.
The 14 victims, including Chishamiso Chihota, subsequently reported the matter to the police, leading to the pair’s arrest.
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