The ManicaPost
Luthando Mapepa
Chipinge Correspondent
TWO businessmen who own a chain of stores in Chimanimani are set to lose one of their buildings at Machongwe Business Centre after they illegally grabbed a commercial stand from a war veteran.
The duo – Messer Amin Muchuro and Edgar Matsakiwafa – was dragged to court by a war veteran, Mr Naison Mambodza who applied for their eviction, accusing the two businessmen of fraudulently acquiring land from a local traditional leader.
Chipinge magistrate, Mr Alfred Chinemebiri presided over the matter and ordered the two’s eviction.
Mr Mambodza through his attorneys, Mr Benjamin Bhasikiti of Gwamanda Law Firm, accused the defendants of using their financial muscle to grab land from disadvantaged people.
Mr Bhasikiti said the two businessmen forged documents to legitimise their ownership of the commercial stand in question.
‘’Your worship, my client was allocated the stand in question by a late traditional leader in the area in the 1980s and built his shop. However, the property was destroyed by Cyclone Eline in 2000.
“The defendants used fake letters they said were signed by traditional leaders in the area giving them the nod to develop the land. One of the letters they relied on was dated September 10, 1999 which we spiritedly dispute its authenticity. The letter has the mobile numbers of the village head with prefix of a Econet line of 077, yet in 1999 the Econet prefix was 091.
“In addition, the two businessmen lied before the court the name of the village head who signed the papers. We have discovered that he was merely a secretary specifically for Government inputs.
“The respondents continued changing goalposts in their testimony before this court. We are therefore want the respondents to vacate the stand in question and to pay for the costs of the suit,” said Mr Bhasikiti.
However, the respondents through their representative, Mr Admire Nkulumba of Mhungu Law Firm, said they acquired the piece of land and followed all the due processes.
