Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve Victoria Falls Reporter
A 40-year-old Hwange man, James Phiri, will spend an effective 35 months behind bars for a brazen fraud spree in which he duped several Victoria Falls residents by promising to pay with a non-existent US$100 note.
Phiri appeared before Victoria Falls Magistrate Ms Linda Dzvene on Thursday, facing four counts of fraud.
He was sentenced to a total of 40 months in prison, with five months suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour, leaving an effective custodial sentence of 35 months.
The court heard how Phiri, unemployed and of P3 Lwendulu Village, Hwange, executed a near-identical scheme on four separate occasions in September and October 2025, preying predominantly on female shop attendants and vendors.
Prosecutor Ms Daphine Ntini, outlining the state’s case, detailed the charges against Phiri.
“In count one, the complainant is Fungai Nyoni, a 41-year-old shopkeeper at Calvary Collection shop. On September 10, 2025, Phiri entered her shop, selected a pair of scissors costing US$20, and claimed he had a US$100 note with a taxi driver outside. He persuaded her to give him US$80 in change. The accused took the money, walked out of the shop, and never returned,” said Ms Ntini.
The second count involved Sipiwe Musharu, an employee at Victoria Falls Pharmacy.
“On September 9, 2025, Phiri approached the complainant at the Victoria Falls Magistrate Court. He purported to need change for a US$100 note to pay at the court offices. Despite her initial reluctance, he persuaded her to give him US$80, even pointing to a parked Duet car, claiming it was his, as assurance he would return. Phiri vanished and never came back,” she said.
Phiri’s third victim was Evis Mpofu, a self-employed vendor at Comesa Market.
“On October 1, 2025, Phiri intended to purchase shoes worth US$25. He was given change of US$75 after claiming his US$100 note was in his motor vehicle. He pretended to go to the vehicle but vanished instead,” she said.
The fourth and final count involved Sindile Khumalo, who works at Soppers Shop.
“On September 26, 2025, the accused targeted the complainant at her workplace. He picked shoes worth US$5 and, using the same story about a US$100 note in his car, was given US$95 in change. He left, pretending to retrieve the note, and did not return,” Ms Ntini said.
The court heard that Phiri’s spree was halted on 2 October 2025, when he was arrested by vigilant members of the community at Mkhosana Shopping Centre while allegedly attempting to use the same method at another shop.
He was subsequently escorted to the police.
In total, Phiri defrauded his victims of US$330, none of which was recovered.
In passing sentence, Magistrate Dzvene condemned Phiri’s actions as a calculated and repeat offence that eroded trust within the local business community.
She emphasized the need for a custodial sentence to deter both Phiri and other would-be offenders from preying on hard-working citizens.
