Businesswoman accuses partner of theft

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MIDLANDS businesswoman, Smelly Dube has accused her long-time business partner Michael George Hughes of stealing a mining hoist from Shabanie Mashava Mines (SMM).

MIDLANDS businesswoman, Smelly Dube has accused her long-time business partner Michael George Hughes of stealing a mining hoist from Shabanie Mashava Mines (SMM).

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

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Hughes (75) last week appeared before Gweru magistrate Shortgame Musaiwona on allegations of stealing a hoist from SMM’s Tebekwa Mine in 2011 and allegedly selling it to Collen Thompson of Glen You Mine.

Hughes, through his company Matovu Investments in partnership with Dube, had signed a tribute agreement with SMM Holdings to lease equipment at Tebekwa Mine.

The State alleges that when Dube discovered the alleged theft, she reported the matter to SMM management.

In a statement, Dube said she was aware that her business partner had stolen the hoist and sold it to another miner.

“We have been working together from 2012. This tribute agreement expired in 2015 and was renewed for another three years… at the beginning of the partnership at the mine were various mining equipment,” she wrote.

“The hoist was there all the time that we were using the mine until it was sold by the accused person to suspected miners.”

But Hughes denied the theft charge and accused Dube of blackmailing him.

He was remanded out of custody on free bail to April 25.