Vusumuzi Dube
Natasha Sipindiye, Sunday News Reporter
A 44-YEAR-OLD man who has been coning people of money and property by misrepresenting himself as a headmaster who employs people to load or offload goods is in trouble with the law after he was busted.
Vuyani Mlotshwa (44) appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Nomagugu Maphosa and was remanded out of custody on $50 000 bail.
The State led by the prosecutor, Mrs Asley Dube told the court that Mlotshwa who was in the company of his accomplice who is still at large operated from Basch Street and 6th Avenue Extension.
The two approached the complainant, Mike Lunga (26) with Mlotshwa telling him that he was a headmaster and wanted to hire him to offload some goods from a truck after which he will pay him US$25 as well as give him a T-shirt.
It was the State case that the two accused persons proceeded to Methodist Church in Makokoba where they instructed the complainant to surrender his property that included a cellphone, toothbrush and 100 rand.
Lunga was then ordered to proceed to a Power Sales outlet where there were people who were waiting for him to load the goods into a truck.
The court heard that when he arrived at Power Sales he discovered that he had been misled as he found out that the shop was closed.
He then went back to Methodist Church with the intention of locating the two so that he recovers his property and money or get another instruction but he could not locate them.
He then met Mlotshwa in Makokoba and he identified him and he recovered his cellphone. He reported the case to the police and he was arrested.
The total value of the property stolen was US$430.
Bongani Ndlovu