A Bulawayo man lost some of his possessions valued at US$430 after he was allegedly conned by a man claiming to be a headmaster seeking to hire him for a job.
Vuyani Mlotshwa, 44, has been charged for allegedly using the ruse to trick victims out of their money and property. He appeared in court and was remanded on $50,000 bail.
Prosecutors say Mlotshwa, with an accomplice still at large, operated the scam from Basch Street and 6th Avenue Extension.
They approached 26-year-old complainant Mike Lunga, with Mlotshwa claiming to be a headmaster who needed him to unload goods from a truck. He promised to pay Lunga US$25 and give him a t-shirt.
Prosecutor Ashley Dube said the two accused then told Lunga to hand over his possessions, which included a cellphone, toothbrush and 100 rand. They instructed him to go to a Power Sales store where goods needed loading into a truck.
When Lunga arrived, the store was closed and he realized he had been deceived. He went back to try and find the two men to recover his property but could not locate them.
He later came across Mlotshwa in Makokoba and identified him, recovering his cellphone. He reported the matter to police and Mlotshwa was arrested.
