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Sijabuliso Buhlungu

Cynthia Dube, Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) accounts clerk charged with defrauding five home seekers of more than $30 000 has been further remanded in custody after one of his witnesses did not attend a court session.

Magistrate, Ms Sithembiso Ncube, did not ask Sijabuliso Buhlungu to plead and remanded him in custody.

Police arrested Buhlungu of Ntabazinduna Flats in Bulawayo in December last year after he defrauded five home seekers of more than $30 000 through selling them non-existent stands.

Prosecuting Mr Jeremiah Mutsindikwa said Buhlungu would use fake title deeds to sell the stands and issue fake receipts.

“Accused duped Benjamin Mugadza of $4 000 after giving him an application form ‘‘stamped and signed by the Director of Housing and Community Services’’ purporting the form was for a stand in Mahatshula,” said Mr Mutsindikwa.

“Mugadza went to inquire at the Tower Block but was told no such stand existed.”

Mr Mutsindikwa said Buhlungu placed an advert in a local newspaper for a stand in Killarney that lured Prosper Ndlovu of Plumtree.

“Accused promised complainant the stand would be transferred to his name after a deposit. Ndlovu paid $6 500 and that was the last time he saw accused. He went to inquire at the BCC offices and was told the stand belonged to Sithandazile Ngwenya,” said Mr Mutsindikwa.

He said Nomusa Sithole lost $3 500 after she paid for a stand on behalf of her brother and Buhlungu gave her a fake receipt.

In July this year, the court heard, Buhlungu placed another advert of stands on offer in Hillside and Montrose on the internet.

One Pamela Ndlovu in the United Kingdom fell for the trap and lost $6 500 after she asked her mother to make a payment for the stand.

“Ndlovu’s mother went to the city council offices and was told that the stand she had bought didn’t exist,” said Mr Mutsindikwa.

Another home seeker, Nelson Fuzane allegedly lost a car to Buhlungu after being promised a stand. After receiving the car worth $5 000 which was said to be the price of the stand, Buhlungu allegedly became evasive.

Fuzane bumped into Buhlungu in January last year as he drove the car in the city centre and he repossessed his car.

The court heard that Buhlungu is serving a five months term in prison after he failed to fully restitute $850 for property he stole after he broke into a house in 2015.

He started serving the sentence in December last year.

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