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Pamela Shumba Chronicle Reporter
FLAMBOYANT Harare based business tycoon Philip Chiyangwa is fuming following reports that the owner of the collapsed Perfect Shot Investments, Kelvin Mazhandu, has been telling his clients that he was working with him.Mazhandu owes hundreds of investors from Bulawayo and surrounding areas about $1 million from his now defunct pyramid scheme.
Chiyangwa, however, told Chronicle on Friday that he had nothing to do with Mazhandu’s business and does not even know him.
“There is this person in Bulawayo, I think he is an extortionist. He cheated people and it seems when he was cornered he mentioned my name,” said Chiyangwa in a telephone interview.
“I want this Kelvin Mazhandu arrested. Certainly, I do not know him. I have never been interested in these money lending schemes and I have no passion for such things.”
Speaking in separate interviews some of Mazhandu’s investors who preferred anonymity said they had to phone Chiyangwa after the Bulawayo businessman told them they were business partners.
“I am one of the many unfortunate investors who were duped by Mazhandu. I invested $1,000 and after the collapse of his business I only managed to recover $300,” said a female client from Nketa.
“I have been trying to recover the balance of $700 from last year to date. Mazhandu has been telling me different stories since then.”
The woman said Mazhandu even made her open a bank account so that he could deposit the money.
“I opened a bank account after he told me that he wanted to pay me through the bank. He told me that I would get my money on December 24 last year but up to now I have not received anything.
“He said Chiyangwa was his business partner and he was waiting for the businessman to give him the money to pay us,” she said.
Another investor from Tsholotsho said he had travelled to Bulawayo on several occasions only to return with nothing.
“I invested $3,000 with Mazhandu’s company and I have not recovered anything. He has been giving different excuses since last year.
“Recently Mazhandu said he was waiting for Chiyangwa to give him money to pay us back. We phoned Chiyangwa but he denied doing business with Mazhandu,” said the investor.
Contacted for comment Mazhandu refuted allegations that he was working with Chiyangwa.
“Those people must have spoken to somebody else, not me. I did not tell anyone that I was working with Chiyangwa,” he said.
Asked when he would pay back the investors he said:
“I am expecting money in March from other investments that I did outside the country. People should expect their money from the beginning of April.
“Some of the money will also come from the mines that we have just revamped. The mines are owned by Perfect Shot. After all the money is not much, just about $1 million.”
Mazhandu first appeared in court on August 30, 2013 where he was charged under section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 (Fraud) and pleaded guilty to the offence.
His case was on Friday transferred to the regional court for trial on February 12. The investors were left stranded following the collapse of the money lending facility in May last year.
Mazhandu would invite people to deposit money promising to pay with interest at a certain percentage. Most of the investors were civil servants, who included teachers, soldiers and police officers.
Online Reporter