Woman attempts to defraud US$46k in land deal

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

A 42-year-old woman from Snake Park, Prettymore Tsiga, has appeared in court on charges of attempting to defraud US$46,000 in a fraudulent residential stand deal.

Tsiga appeared before Magistrate Ethel Chichera at the Harare Magistrates' Court, facing allegations of fraud. She was granted bail of US$200 and is expected to return to court on October 7, 2024.

According to the State, represented by prosecutor Polite Chikiwa, Tsiga forged a Zimbabwean identity card and unlawfully obtained the deed of transfer (number 08563/2003) for Stand 2743 Malborough Township, a subdivision of Stand 2576 Malborough, under the name of the actual property owner, Linda Siso.

The court heard that on September 5, 2024, Tsiga approached Luminosa Maruva Magaya, pretending to be Siso, and claimed she was selling a residential stand measuring 1600 square meters in Malborough for US$50,000.

Magaya expressed interest and asked Tsiga for the property details. Tsiga then sent a copy of the fraudulent deed of transfer, along with a counterfeit Zimbabwean national identity card bearing Siso's details but showing Tsiga’s face.

Subsequently, on September 8, 2024, Magaya advertised the property and soon found a prospective buyer. Magaya informed Tsiga of the buyer’s interest, but Tsiga, citing other commitments, sent a GPS location for the property instead of meeting in person.

Magaya and the buyer visited the location provided by Tsiga. Impressed with the stand, the buyer made an offer of US$46,000. This offer was sent to Tsiga, who accepted it in writing via WhatsApp.

However, before finalizing the deal, Magaya visited the Registrar of Companies, Deeds, and Intellectual Property for a deed search on September 10. During the search, the actual owner of the property, Linda Siso, learned from neighbors that her stand was being fraudulently sold.

Siso immediately intervened, and Magaya halted the transaction. Efforts to contact Tsiga were unsuccessful as she had switched off her phone.

Siso reported the matter to the police, leading to Tsiga’s arrest at Malbereign Shopping Center. Upon her arrest, Tsiga was found in possession of passport-sized photos used to create the fake identity card, along with Econet and NetOne SIM cards used for communication during the scam.

The investigation is ongoing, and Tsiga will reappear in court on October 7, 2024.