A prominent travel agent has been accused of ruining the Christmas holidays of several families, including a businessman and a Bolt Cutter Buses director, by allegedly defrauding them of thousands of dollars.
Talent Chetsanga, 42, of Marine Travel, was arrested and appeared before Harare magistrate Isheanesu Matova yesterday. She was remanded in custody until Monday for bail consideration.
Businessman Wilfred Chibage, the director of Chibs Wilfy Enterprises, trading as Bolt Cutter Buses, is among the complainants.
In October last year, Chibage engaged Chetsanga to arrange a six-day holiday for him and his family in Cape Town, South Africa. The package, costing US$6,475, included air tickets, accommodation, entertainment, and transport to various destinations. Chibage made payments in installments to cover the full amount.
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However, on Christmas Day, while en route to the airport, Chibage received a call from Chetsanga advising him to cancel the trip, claiming the tickets had not been processed. Suspicious, Chibage proceeded to the airport, where he discovered Chetsanga had only reserved the tickets without making payment.
Forced to pay again for the tickets, Chibage and his family continued with their trip, only to encounter further problems upon arrival in Cape Town. They found that Chetsanga had only paid half of the hotel booking fees and had not made any payments to the transportation provider arranged for their excursions.
Chibage was forced to cover the costs of accommodation, transport, and return tickets, suffering a total loss of US$6,969. None of the money has been recovered.
Another victim, Shelliton Mahuni, approached Chetsanga in July last year to arrange a trip to Hong Kong for himself and his family. Chetsanga charged US$7,000, covering air tickets and accommodation, which Mahuni paid in installments over four months.
The family departed for Hong Kong on December 19, but upon arrival, they discovered that their accommodation had not been paid for. Mahuni had to make an additional payment equivalent to US$3,911.99 to secure a place to stay.
Chetsanga later promised to refund Mahuni but failed to honor her commitment.
The families have reported significant financial losses and emotional distress due to Chetsanga’s alleged fraudulent actions. The case highlights the importance of verifying travel agents’ credentials and ensuring transparency in financial transactions.
Chetsanga faces multiple counts of fraud, with the court set to decide on her bail application early next week.
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