Residents leader fined $100 for fraud

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A BULAWAYO residents’ association leader has been fined $100 for fraud.

A BULAWAYO residents’ association leader has been fined $100 for fraud.

BY SILAS NKALA

Tonny Sibanda, secretary of the Mzilikazi Residents’ Association, was yesterday convicted and sentenced on his own plea of guilty to the charge, when he appeared before magistrate Tinashe Tashaya.

The court heard that sometime between December 2014 and June this year, Sibanda who collected rentals from the Celebration Church for use of MacDonald Hall East offices, forged the signature of the association’s treasurer Annie Moyo and converted the money to his own use.

Sibanda (58) is also ZimRights chairman for Makokoba and an activist with the Habakkuk Trust, Child Protection and Social Welfare.

In passing sentence, the court considered that he was a first offender and had since refunded the organisation.

Prosecutor Tawurai Hondoyemoto told the court that between December 2, 2014 and June 3 2015, Sibanda collected $30 per month from the Celebration Church and forged Moyo’s signature before converting nthe money to his own use.

At the time of his arrest, he had collected $210. The offence was discovered when the church demanded receipts for all its payments.