Gwanda villagers fleeced of mopane worms

Gwanda, (New Ziana) – Police in Gwanda on Thursday warned people in and around the town against falling prey to a team of conmen moving around buying mopane worms, also known as amacimbi, at attractively high prices using fake US dollars.

Scores of villagers have in recent weeks been duped of their amacimbi, a delicacy, by the team of conmen around Gwanda town, prompting the police warning.

“It has come to our attention as police that there is a truck doing rounds in Gwanda buying macimbi using fake US dollar notes. We are kindly asking members of the public to share this information and save our communities,” Matabeleland South Province police spokesman, Chief Inspector Philisani Ndebele, said.

“We are also appealing to anyone who might be having information that may lead to their (conmen) arrest.”

Last week, villagers in Ward 3 and ward 4 in Gwanda north were fleeced of bucket loads of amacimbi by the conmen using fake US$50 bank notes.

The conmen offered the villagers the highest prices ever for the mopane worms to induce them to sell, leaving them counting their huge losses.

The crime was discovered after the villagers tried to buy groceries with the US dollars, only to be told the bank notes were fake.
New Ziana