The Sunday News
Simba Jemwa, Sunday News Reporter
FORMER provincial cricketer and one-time television pundit Dumisani Mankunzini was remanded in custody to 18 November after he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Busani Sibanda at the Bulawayo Magistrates Court on 4 November on charges of fraud.
Mankunzini had allegedly been on the run since 14 December last year when a warrant of arrest was issued by the magistrates courts for other unrelated fraud cases he is being charged with.
Mankunzini was charged with five counts of fraud for contravening section 136 (b) as defined in Law Codification (Criminal and Reform) Act Chapter 9:23 when the state presented its case before the bench.
In the first case, which he is facing two counts, the State represented by prosecutor, Mr Milton Moyo accused Mankunzini of defrauding two medical doctors of a total of US$520 after convincing them that he would secure them employment in cricket circles.
In the second case which he has been charged with three counts, the once talented cricketer is said to have stayed a city lodge before disappearing without paying his dues. In one of the two cases he was charged with, Mankunzini reportedly conned two doctors employed by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare as doctors at Mpilo Hospital and promised to secure them employment with the Zimbabwe cricket national team as team doctors.
It is alleged that Mankunzini, who gave his address as 4634 Nketa 7, first approached Munyaradzi Simbarashe Ngairongwe (32) of 217 Ntabazinduna Flats in Bulawayo on 15 June this year. He misrepresented to Ngairongwe that he was a person of influence in Zimbabwean cricket and advised him of the ‘requirements’ for such an appointment. On the same day, Ngairongwe gave Mankunzini a certified copy of his medical registration certificate, national ID, passport size photos and US$420.
On the same day, Ngairongwe introduced Mankunzini to a colleague of his, Denis Musiringi (28) of Hospital Staff Flats and also stationed at Mpilo Hospital who was offered the same deal. However, Musiringi only managed to pay US$100 along with his documents towards the caper.
After initially being advised that they would be signing contracts for their new jobs on the same day, Mankunzini is said to have shifted he deadlines to 17 June before a litany of excuses led the duo to file a police report which led to the fraudsters arrest.
In the second case, Mankunzini allegedly checked into a local lodge where he stayed for three days before leaving without settling his bill. Court papers allege that Mankunzini checked into the lodge on 17 June and made good his escape on 20 June, owing three days of unpaid bills. In this case, Mankunzini gave his address 6502 Nkulumane 5.
The state led by prosecutor, Mr Milton Moyo told the court that at 1pm on 17 June, Mankunzini checked into Serenity Guest Lodge in the city, booked a room and stayed for four days. On 20 June at around 1.30pm, the accused went out of the lodge without paying his bills and managed to flee unnoticed. Mankunzini is expected to be before the courts on 18 November.
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