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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A BULAWAYO woman allegedly swindled her business partner of $10,500 after claiming to have struck a lucrative tender deal to supply 600 pairs of shoes to the Zimbabwe National Army.Emily Nyatsanza, 38, of Sizinda suburb, a sales representative at Pathfinder Salelane Enterprises in Bulawayo, pleaded not guilty to fraud when she appeared before magistrate Gladmore Mushove.

Prosecuting, Jeremiah Mutsindikwa told how on January 29, Nyatsanza approached Eustina Maposa, 46, and offered to venture into a business partnership with her claiming she had secured a tender to supply 600 pairs of shoes to the ZNA.

Maposa, who felt she could not resist the deal, was tempted into funding the project.

Nyatsanza then asked Maposa, who is the proprietor of Kwa-Mothers Restaurant situated along Robert Mugabe Way in Bulawayo, to give her $1,000, which was to be deposited into her account to facilitate the deal.

She told Maposa “that she had been awarded tenders to also supply the police and Air Force of Zimbabwe with shoes hence she needed more capital to fund the project. She was given the money, which in total amounted to $10,500”.

Mutsindikwa said the money was deposited into Nyatsanza’s Eco-Cash account.

In her evidence, Maposa told the court each time she enquired about their purported deal, Nyatsanza would become evasive.

“I became suspicious when I asked Nyatsanza about our deal and she would give me all sorts of excuses. At one time she claimed that one of her clients, ZNA had not paid her the money and were in the process of doing so. Later I realised that I had been duped and that is when I reported her to the police,” said Maposa.

On being arrested, Nyatsanza failed to produce the documents to prove that she had been awarded the tenders.

However, in defence, through her lawyer, Costa Dube of Mcijo Dube and Partners, Nyatsanza argued she only borrowed $6, 500 from Maposa intending to buy shoes for resale to her customers.

“I borrowed the money on the understanding that I would pay it back with interest. I only received $6,500  and so far I managed to pay back $500.  I delivered 1,000 pairs of shoes to the ZNA but there are delays in payment and I told Maposa that I would only be able to pay her money back once payment is done,” she said.

The magistrate set July 28 as the next  date for continuation of trial and Nyatsanza was remanded out of custody.