Stepmom falsifies documents, claims 50% of late hu...

Stepmom falsifies documents, claims 50% of late husband's estate

Michael Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

A woman who was taken to court a week ago on allegations of trying to exclude her late husband's two children, founder of Mugure House Institute, from being beneficiaries of his estate has been granted US$100 bail.

Chipo Mutandwa, 39, appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi at the Harare Magistrates courts charged with two counts of fraud and deliberately supplying false information to authorities.

The complainant is Tatenda Yolanda Zvakanaka, 23.

The State alleges that Mutandwa was married as a second wife to the late Daniel Chapinga who died on July 21, 2021.

When Chapinga passed on, he survived by his two wives of which one, Forcena Marongwe passed on recently on April 19, 2024.

He had seven children who include Tatenda and her sister Tafadzwa Belinda Zvakanaka born by first wife.

It is alleged that on August 12, 2021 Mutandwa secretly went to the Registrar General's Office to procure Chapinga’s Death Certificate without the knowledge of his children and close relatives.

"Mutandwa hired two other people, Winnai Mutandwa her mother and a disabled young brother of the late Chapinga, one Osward Chapinga who is unable to write to assist her.

"Mutandwa then chased away the two children from home to live in the streets of Harare and denied them any access to their father's Estate proceeds.

“After chasing away the two Mutandwa went on to fraudulently procure a Fake Valuation Report on May 26, 2023, with the assistance of one Muronzi who is still on the run and some Conveyancing Clerks at her Legal Practitioner's Offices.”

This is despite the fact that she was not an executor to the estate of the late Chapinga, where two executors had been appointed, Joseph Chapinga and Daniel Zvakanaka.

When Chapinga passed on, he left behind a thriving and functioning School Mugure House Institute for his children's inheritance, which Tatenda and Tafadzwa have been denied access.

Meanwhile, Mutandwa also stopped paying fees for the two girls who were enrolled at University of Johannesburg in South Africa where they had been enrolled by their late father.

Due to outstanding fees of R26 448, 29 and R44 134, 23 respectively, the two children ran away from debt collectors in South Africa.

Mutandwa also went on to fraudulently create a Memorandum of Understanding which she then also tempered with claiming 50 percent share of the Mugure House Institute which was left by Chapinga under lease with Ministry of Lands and Rural Resettlement.

The offence was unearthed when the two former executors, Joseph Chapinga and Daniel Zvakanaka were removed and a new executor had been appointed.

The actual prejudice caused is yet to be established.

The State also alleges that on August 12, 2021, when Mutandwa went to the Registrar General's Office at Markert Square in Harare with her two accomplices where she drafted affidavit with falsehoods.

She lied that that her late husband Chapinga had died on July 22, 2021, whereas in fact, he died on July 21, 2021.

In addition, she also stated that he had left three children when they were seven.

After Mutandwa had presented the falsified affidavits, the Registrar Generals Officials alerted sister of the deceased Enipha Chapinga who rushed to the scene and stopped the processing of fake death certificate which she was about to procure.