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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
AT least 15 Bulawayo residents were duped into buying non-existing residential housing stands in a fraudulent deal by a city businessman masquerading as a land developer, a court heard yesterday.Zenzo Sibanda, 44, owner of DZ Construction Company was reportedly paid by desperate home seekers after he placed advertisements in the local newspapers selling residential stands.

Prosecutors say Sibanda swindled home seekers of their hard earned cash amounting to thousands of dollars.

Sibanda appeared before regional Magistrate Mark Dzira yesterday facing 15 counts of fraud and begged the magistrate to postpone his trial citing ill health.

“Your Worship I have spent the last six months without food and proper medication supplies from the prison. I have been supplying myself and thus I am not fit for trial,” he said.

Dzira turned down Sibanda’s application and advised him to appeal to the High Court.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. The alleged incidents occurred between 2008 and 2011 and it is time we deal with this matter,” said Dzira who further remanded Sibanda in custody to August 14 when state witnesses are expected to testify.

Prosecuting Goodluck Katenaire said in January 2011 Sibanda placed an advert stating his company was selling a residential stand.

Thabani Ndlovu responded and paid $25,000 for the stand through his lawyers.

He said Sibanda, with the intent to deceive, then approached Ndlovu saying he had bought building materials valued at $3,440 to develop the stand and presented him with an invoice stamped “PAID”.

Ndlovu paid Sibanda the money but he never delivered the said building materials, the court heard.

Again in July 2011 Sibanda placed another advert in local newspapers stating that he was selling a residential stand in Mahatshula.

Morris Sitima responded and went to Sibanda’s offices  and he told him that the stand was selling for $6,000. Sibanda thereafter took Sitima to Mahatshula where he  showed him an undeveloped stand.

Sitima then paid him $4,440 for the stand and change of ownership fees. Sibanda failed to hand over the stand and converted the money to his own use.

Katenaire said on November 6 the same year, Sibanda also swindled a nurse when he sold her a stand in Cowdray Park suburb for $4,015 and  again converted the money to his own use.

The nurse later discovered that the stand was owned by someone and that it was never on sale. Sibanda failed to refund her.

He is alleged to have used the same modus operandi to swindle 12 other home seekers whose cases are yet to come before the court.