Thieving forex dealer collapses in dock

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THERE was drama on Monday afternoon at the Bulawayo magistratea��s court when an illegal forex dealer fainted after she was convicted of stealing money from a colleague during a scuffle over trading territory.

Nyengeterai Mashungu (25) from Cowdray Park who operates opposite Tredgold Building which houses Bulawayo magistratesa�� courts passed out after she was found guilty of stealing Ever Mutandia��s money amounting to $204 by Bulawayo magistrate Franklin Mkwananzi.

Business briefly came to a standstill when some court officials and members of the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services abandoned their duties and rushed to aid Mashungu, while her colleagues were frantically calling for an ambulance to take her to the hospital.

Her colleagues in the name of a�?an injury to one comrade is an injury to alla�? also created a scene when they threatened to demonstrate against the sentence claiming it was a�?too severea�?.

Drama unfolded after Mashungu who throughout trial pleaded not guilty to theft failed to come to terms with her conviction and subsequent sentencing.

She was sentenced to pay a fine of $100 or 30 days in prison in default of payment. In addition, 30 days of imprisonment were suspended on condition that she restitutes the complainant (Mutandi) her money in the sum of $204 before 14 July this year.

Mashungu, who apparently found the sentence too a�?harsha�?, slumped despite the fact that during mitigation she had pleaded with the magistrate to spare her jail sentence saying she was prepared to restitute the complainant.

Accusations against Mashungu arose on 6 June this year when she had a misunderstanding with Mutandi after she approached her at her a�?trading territorya�? near Charter House a�� situated at corner Fort Street and Leopold Takawira Avenue.

The court proved that at the height of a misunderstanding and in a bid to a�?fixa�? Mutandi, Mashungu snatched her money amounting to $204 together with her plastic chair.

It is reported that Mutandi spiritedly tried to negotiate with the accused to give her back her money but she refused.
While she was pleading with Mashungu, a gang of other money changers in support of Mashungu came and mobbed her while also booing her so that she could not get her property.

The fleeced Mutandi reported the matter to the police leading to Mashungua��s arrest and her subsequent appearance in court.