Cheeky … a ZUPCO bus conductor accused of illegally pocketing fares
BULAWAYO – A ZUPCO conductor was Thursday brought before a Bulawayo magistrate charged with fraud following cases in which he issued passengers with blank tickets while pocketing the fares.
Tredgold Magistrates’ Court was told Tichaona Chitera, 40, on September 17, 2023, was deployed as a conductor on a bus that was travelling to Gokwe.
Along the way, the bus picked up five passengers and he issued them with blank tickets.
The scam was discovered by ZUPCO inspectors, Desire Kabanda and Margaret Mugadza.
The tickets totaled US$10 in value.
Chitera also pleaded guilty to three other counts in which it is alleged that on October 3, he issued another passenger aboard a Chinhoyi-Kasimure bus with a blank ticket and pocketed US$2.
On October 5, court further heard, Chiteka again gave blank tickets to eight other passengers while pocketing US$14.
He did it again on October 8, issuing blank tickets and taking US$16 as his own.
ZUPCO was represented in court by its security officer Atanasiyo Tapera while magistrate Nomalanga Maphosa presided over the matter.
Chitera was granted US$40 bail.
