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Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
A WOMAN from Bulawayo has been arraigned for allegedly selling a non-existent residential stand to her neighbour.
Nobuhle Dzana (41) of Cowdray Park suburb appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Nyaradzo Ringisai charged with fraud.
She pleaded guilty and was remanded out of custody on $100 bail.
Prosecuting, Mr Stewart Madzore told the court that sometime in 2014, Dzana promised to help her neighbour Ms Senzeni Masina, a Townsend High School caretaker, acquire a residential stand without paying the full amount.
She allegedly told her that she was well connected with people from the Bulawayo City Council and had helped a lot of people to acquire residential stands.
“Sometime during the month of September 2014, the complainant approached her neighbour Martin Moyo inquiring about the process of obtaining a Garikai/ Hlalani Kuhle residential stand on a staggered payment facility,” said Mr Madzore.
He said Moyo directed Masina to Dzana, who he said was well versed on how residential stands could be obtained.
Mr Madzore said Masina was told to pay $800 and gave Dzana $500 in Moyo’s presence.
He said Masina was given an offer letter which Bulawayo City Council officials in Cowdray Park said was a counterfeit.
During trial, Dzana implicated some city council officials whom she said she worked with to get people to pay for stands.
She told the court that the $500 that she obtained from Masina was meant to be a bribe for one Njabulo Sibanda from BCC.
“I told her that Njabulo Sibanda wanted $800. After I gave him the $500 she had paid, he gave me an offer letter and I gave it to her. However, she was supposed to pay $1600 at the bank, which was the actual payment for the stand. She knew that the $500 was a bribe,” said Dzana.
— @andile_tshuma
Online Reporter