The ManicaPost
Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter
DESPERATE times call for desperate measures.
The adage came to life in Chigodora after a family sold their land in order to seek spiritual deliverance for two of their own who were suffering from mental illness.
However, the Magadas have had a change of heart and are now demanding to get their land back from the Waziwei family.
This has led to a nasty court wrangle before Headman Chigodora’s court where the Waziwei family is disputing the Magada family’s offer to buy back the land.
The matter appeared before Headman Chigodora on Sunday.
“I had no intention of buying the land but this family approached me and begged me to buy this piece of land. Tonderai Magada claimed that he had inherited the land from his father and said he was the rightful heir,” explained Edmore Waziwei.
“His sisters had suddenly become mentally challenged and they had no money to seek spiritual help for her. They coerced me to buy the land for US$300 and I did that.
“After a few days, they came back to me and said they needed more money and therefore they were selling another piece of land. Tonderai was in the company of his late uncle, Martin Magada. That was in 2018. In total, I paid them US$600 and they helped register me in the Village Head’s register,” said Waziwei.
He said in 2021 when Martin passed away, the Magadas approached him with the plea to buy back the land from him.
“The women who were mentally challenged had been divorced as a result of the sickness, so the Magadas now wanted to accommodate them on my land. They asked if they could refund me half of the amount so that I could give them back half of the land.
“They only gave me that amount last month and I returned half of the land to them so I have not done anything wrong,” he said.
Waziwei said the Magadas have said they would want to reoccupy the entire portion of land.
“I cannot give them the other portion of land as I planted timber worth US$30 000 there. I could cut down my timber but they will have to give me my US$30 000 which I have invested on the land,” he said.
Waziyei said when he refused to give them back the land in full, the Magadas went on to sell it to another buyer for US$1 200.
Edmore Waziwei
“It seems as if I only loaned them the US$600, they used me,” said Waziwei.
Representing the Magada family was Kerina Magada and her niece, Margaret Magada.
They offered to reimburse Waziwei’s money so that they could repossess the land.
However, the Magadas denied the allegations that they sold the land to someone else.
“My nieces were mentally challenged but one has recovered and I need to accommodate them on their father’s land. My prayer is for the Waziwei family to allow me to refund them so that I can build a house for my homeless nieces.
“The girls’ sickness caused their divorces. Their brother — Tonderai — sold the land as his own family has a farm elsewhere. This has left the girls homeless. This land was their father’s, my late brother,” said the woman.
However, Headman Chigodora ordered Kerina to pay back the second buyer and leave Waziwei on his land as he is already registered in the village.
The Magadas risk paying Waziwei the US$30 000 that he invested on the land if they insist on chucking him out.
