Harare, Zimbabwe – Five Bulls Leisure, a local travel agency, along with its director Tichatonga Mudzonga and consultant Eve Tsvangira, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on Saturday facing fraud charges. The two are accused of misappropriating US$17,364 paid by a Harare family for a Christmas holiday cruise booking.
According to court documents, the complainant saw an advertisement for Five Bulls Leisure on Facebook, which claimed the company was a registered travel agency offering services such as cruise ship bookings, air tickets, hotel reservations, and airport transfers. Attracted by the offer, the complainant visited the company’s offices at Longcheng Plaza in Belvedere, Harare, and met with Mudzonga and Tsvangira.
The complainant sought to book a cruise package for eight people from Durban, South Africa, through Mozambique to Japan. The agency provided a quotation of US$12,377 for the cruise and an additional US$4,987 for air tickets. Between February and September, the complainant paid the full amount in six instalments, receiving receipts in the name of Five Bulls Leisure.
However, the complainant later discovered that the cruise bookings were not made as promised. Despite assurances, the reservation was canceled by MSC Cruise Ship Company due to nonpayment. Allegedly, the funds were never transferred to the cruise line, raising questions about their use.
Mudzonga and Tsvangira were arrested and charged with fraud after the complainant reported the issue to authorities. The two were granted bail of US$200 each and remanded to January 27. The case has sparked significant public interest, particularly regarding the company’s handling of client funds.
The complainant insists that the agency failed to meet its obligations despite having ample time to process the bookings.
