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Midlands Correspondent
A driver at the Gweru District Administrator’s office has been convicted for masquerading as a Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement official and duping land seekers of over $3 500.

Peter Tshetu (54) appeared before Gweru magistrate Ms Vimbai Makora recently, facing fraud charges.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Ms Makore convicted him due to overwhelming evidence and remanded him in custody for sentencing.

It is the State case that between May 2016 and May 2017, Tshetu allegedly masqueraded as an official of the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement.

He went around telling land seekers that he could help them get land in Gweru.

The court heard that his first victim was Mr David Amon, whom he met at Nice Time Supermarket in Mvuma.

Tshetu told Mr Amon that he had a plot along Matobo Road at Romac Farm, which he was selling for an undisclosed amount before he was given $1 700 towards the purchase of the piece of land.

Mr Amon later demanded to see the plot and Tshetu ordered him send $100 through EcoCash so that he could buy fuel for them to go and see the land.

Tshetu then went into hiding after receiving the money.

The court heard that in November last year, Tshetu met Mr Felix Chedondo in Gweru central business district and told him that he was selling the same piece of land and was given $800. Mr Chedondo later checked on the piece of land and discovered that it did not belong to Tshetu.

Using the same modus operandi, Tshetu duped three other people and the amount of money that he fraudulently got from selling the non-existent land was $3 510.

The matter was later reported to the police leading to his arrest.