The ManicaPost
Cletus Mushanawani and Abel Zhakata
FORMER Mutare Town Clerk, Mr Obert Muzawazi and his accomplice Mr Asman Zambira were arrested last week for allegedly duping a home-seeker, Ms Brenda Rupiya, of US$3 000 in a stand scam that has been described as the tip of the iceberg.
The duo, working in cahoots with council employees, are alleged to have manufactured fake agreement of sale documents to fleece unsuspecting home-seekers of their hard-earned money.
Two Mutare City Council employees — deputy housing director Ms Rosina Nyamangondo and another employee only identified as E. Kadzutu — have since been sent on forced leave to pave way for further investigations.
Messrs Muzawazi and Zambira were granted $1 000 bail each when they appeared in court last week. They will be back in the dock on June 28.
Both the police and Mutare City Council confirmed the land scam and said investigations are in progress as more heads are expected to roll at the local authority.
Sources told The Manica Post that last year, Messrs Muzawazi and Zambira received US$3 000 from Ms Rupiya to facilitate the sale of stand number 26447, Area 3 Extension, Dangamvura.
Armed with the dubious agreement of sale document, Ms Rupiya visited council officers with the intention of planning to develop her piece of land. She got the shock of her life when she was told that the agreement of sale was fake.
She subsequently reported the matter to the police.
Manicaland police spokesperson, Inspector Tavhiringwa Kakohwa said the fraudulent agreement of sale was doctored on November 26, 2019; but was dated 2014 to a period when Mr Muzawazi was still at the helm of Civic Centre’s operations.
He said Mr Zambira approached Ms Rupiya and told her that he was selling a residential stand. Mr Zambira claimed that he was working with the then town clerk.
“The suspects gave the complainant an agreement of sale document which purported that council had allocated the stand to her in 2014. A council stamp was used to authenticate the sale,” he said.
Insp Kakohwa said detectives are carrying out further investigations to ascertain the origin of the date stamp.
Mutare City Council spokesperson Mr Spren Mutiwi said investigations are in progress to determine the extent of the scam.
He also confirmed the fate of the two employees who are on forced leave.
“This is a tip of the iceberg and full-scale investigations have been launched. We urge home-seekers to be vigilant and double check some of the documents they receive as agreements of sale.
“Anyone with queries regarding the sale of stands should come forward to help us with investigations,” said Mr Mutiwi.
