A Bulawayo councillor from Zanu-PF named Josiah Mutangi got nailed for scamming street vendors out of their cash by promising them legal spots to sell stuff, and the judge handed him 490 hours of community service at the local cop shop. His partner in crime, Janet Zhou, pulled 450 hours at a different station after they both got busted on 13 fraud charges. The pair has until late February next year to pay everyone back, or they are looking at actual jail time.
The court decided the vendors only forked over money because Mutangi and Zhou made it sound like they would get legit spots where municipal police would not hassle them. His lawyer tried playing the first-time offender card and said all the media attention already embarrassed him enough, but the magistrate was not having it and suspended part of their sentences only if full restitution happens.
The court decided the vendors only forked over money because Mutangi and Zhou made it sound like they would get legit spots where municipal police would not hassle them. His lawyer tried playing the first-time offender card and said all the media attention already embarrassed him enough, but the magistrate was not having it and suspended part of their sentences only if full restitution happens.
