In Bulawayo, police have apprehended a 32-year-old man named Michael Ndebele on charges of fraud involving US$40,000 in failed maize and bran transactions.
Abednico Ncube, the Press and Public Relations Officer for Bulawayo Province, confirmed the incident, stating, “Police confirm the arrest of Fraudster Michael Ndebele, a 32-year-old businessman and Director of Daily Harvest. The company, with branches at 15318 Kelvin West and number 10 Swansea Road Belmont in Bulawayo, specializes in milling maize, soya beans, and other farm products.”
According to police reports, between September 2023 and February 2024, Michael Ndebele allegedly deceived four individuals by advertising that his company would purchase maize bran and other raw materials for cash, promising payment upon delivery. However, after supplying the materials, the complainants were not compensated as agreed.
The first victim, a 25-year-old man from Nettleton Road, Braeside, Harare, delivered 7.2 tonnes of sugar beans but did not receive payment, suffering a loss of US$5,760.
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The second victim, a 46-year-old woman from Kamwala, Lusaka, Zambia, supplied 60 tonnes of maize bran and was only paid US$6,350 instead of the agreed US$16,500. Similarly, for another delivery of 33.5 tonnes, she received only US$1,700 instead of US$8,727.20, resulting in a total loss of US$17,083.
The third victim, a 36-year-old man from Glenway, Harare, delivered 30 tonnes of maize for US$7,200 but received only US$2,500, suffering a loss of US$4,700.
Lastly, a 25-year-old man from Helenview, Harare, delivered two tonnes of maize bran, receiving only US$7,000 instead of the agreed amount, leading to a loss of US$11,870.
In total, the victims lost US$39,413, and none of the funds were recovered. Following investigations and assistance from the public, Ndebele was arrested.
