Ponzi scheme clients besiege Geozing offices

HUNDREDS of Geozing clients who were allegedly duped of their money yesterday besieged the company offices in Bulawayo and vowed to hunt down the proprietor, George Zingani and recover their cash.

The clients said they have been patient for too long and Zingani was taking advantage of that.

"We want to catch him and deal with him face-to-face. We will track him down, catch him wherever he is hiding and get our money back," said an angry client at Geozing offices at Ramjis Complex, corner 11th Avenue and Robert Mugabe Way.

More than 4 000 investors were reportedly duped of their cash ranging between $300 and $100 000, which they had invested in Geozing Investments.

The pawn broking company used to invite people to deposit their money promising to pay it back with 30 percent interest every month.

The clients said Zingani was not committed to paying them back their investments as he did not turn up for a meeting which was advertised in the Press yesterday. It was not clear who had put the advert.

As Zingani was nowhere to be seen at the meeting, the angry clients tried call him on his mobile phone numbers that were pasted outside his office door, but to no avail.

Some of the clients said if they caught up with Zingani, they would take the law into their hands.

"Zingani should own up to his actions, I cannot be robbed of thousands of dollars and do nothing about it. He will pay it whether he wants or not," said an investor.

Business briefly came to a halt at Ramjis Complex as more than 500 Geozing investors swarmed the whole complex, thereby blocking the pavement.

Some of the investors organised themselves and compiled a list of those who were interested in collective legal representation to recover their money.

"We are going to engage lawyers on possible means to recover our money. Either way, this man (Zingani) should pay, he will not hide forever," said another investor.

He said the phone numbers they were given by Zingani were not getting through.

"We cannot locate him and all his mobile phones are off including the ones for his wife and staff. In any case, we are determined to hunt him until the day we catch him. He will regret the day he lands on my hands because he has brought so much suffering to me and my family," said the investor.

The Geozing offices are closed and the staff has not been reporting for duty for more than a fortnight.

Another investor who only identified himself as Mr Ndlovu, said Zingani's victims should be organised and pursue their case collectively.

"We need to be organised and launch a legal case against Zingani collectively, separate representation is weakening our case," said Mr Ndlovu.

He said Zingani had tested their patience for a long time and it was time to bring him to book.

Some Geozing clients, through different lawyers, have successfully obtained interim relief from the magistrates' courts to attach movable assets to satisfy their claims according to what they had invested in the company.

They were granted the provisional order to attach property pending the finalisation of the matter in which they are seeking to recover their money.

Some of the assets attached included cars that were being kept at one of Zingani's houses in Waterford.

It is also reported that Zingani has engaged a number of bouncers as bodyguards in fear of angry clients he reportedly duped.