Man Sells Public Open Space to Home Seekers

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

The alleged chairman of Shine City Cooperative, Asan Kaunda, has been brought to court for reportedly selling public open space to home seekers in a fraudulent scheme. Kaunda, 33, from Goromonzi, appeared at the Harare Magistrates' Courts facing charges of fraud and unauthorized development on state land.

Kaunda was granted bail of US$50 and is expected to return to court on October 28, 2024.

According to the State, Kaunda, in collaboration with his accomplice Philip Masuka, illegally pegged residential stands on land reserved for public use in Caledonia. The pair then sold these stands to unsuspecting home seekers. In an attempt to cover their tracks, Kaunda is alleged to have backdated the receipts issued, falsely indicating that the stands had been allocated between 2012 and 2013.

The fraud came to light when the complainant contacted the Ministry of Local Government, which confirmed that the land in question was state property.

The court also heard that Kaunda and Masuka used forged documents to take control of 70 stands that had originally been allocated to the Greater Harare Housing Union. Without the consent of the Union’s members, the duo sold these stands to individuals who were not part of the housing union.

The scam unraveled when the complainant discovered construction on the disputed land, which had been allocated by Kaunda.

The case remains under investigation.