SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER THE MDC-T councillor for Gwamba ward in Lupane, Kayeni Kenni Mpofu (38), who duped a Zimbabwean man based in South Africa of R41 200 has been fined $300. Mpofu duped Mandla Dube (42) of Makokoba’s Hlalani Flats, who has been based in South Africa since 2008, into believing that he had secured a residential stand for him at the town centre prompting him to pump out over R41 200 for the purchase and development of the stand. Mpofu converted the money to his own use. Mpofu, who initially pleaded not guilty to the fraud charge when he appeared before Lupane resident magistrate Aelene Munamati, yesterday altered his plea to guilty and was convicted. Munamati fined him $300 or three months in jail. He was also given a suspended six-month jail term for five years on condition of good behaviour. Prosecutor Wilberforce Ngoshi told the court that sometime in 2009, Dube applied for a residential stand at the Lupane Local Board in the name of his son Brain Dube and was placed on the waiting list. In November 2009, Dube, who was returning to South Africa, made an arrangement with Mpofu to check and advise him when the stand would be allocated. It was proven in court that in August 2010, Mpofu called Dube in South Africa and misled him that the stand had been allocated and he had to develop it before the council repossessed it. Between August 2010 and December 2013, Dube sent cash amounting to R35 130 and building material valued at R6 100 for the development of the stand. Mpofu misinformed Dube by telling him that construction was taking place at his stand.On June 18 this year, Dube returned from South Africa and visited the council offices and discovered that his son’s name was still on the waiting list and reported the fraud to the police.
