Six in Court for Defrauding Home Seekers

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

Six members of the Skyline Tollgate settlers' steering committee have been arraigned in court on fraud charges related to the illegal allocation of land to desperate home seekers.

Charles Kandira, 32, Douglas Kambaza, 32, Justice Murehwa, 37, Kudakwashe Masarangoro, 43, Makvin Nyama, 38, and Liberty Khumalo, 55, appeared before the Harare Magistrates' Courts, where they were remanded in custody.

The complainant in the matter is Richard Chabaya.

From 2021 to 2024, the accused served on the steering committee for the Skyline Tollgate settlers. The court heard that the six conspired to defraud home seekers by unlawfully allocating land located in Ushewekunze, Skyline Tollgate, along Masvingo Road, Harare.

They allegedly seized a 14-hectare plot, part of Saturday Retreat, which had been allocated by the Ministry of Local Government and Public Works to Full Task Project Managers and Ministry of Defence Staff for residential development. The accused falsely claimed that the land had been legally issued to them by the State.

As a result, approximately 400 home seekers were misled into paying sums ranging from US$200 to US$500 for purchase prices, development fees, and administrative costs, believing they were securing ownership of residential stands.

The accused unlawfully subdivided and allocated portions of the land at Saturday Retreat without authorization from the government. Their actions caused significant administrative disruption to Full Task Project Managers and the Ministry of Defence Staff, with potential financial prejudice as a result.

The case continues to unfold in court as the accused face charges of defrauding both the State and the public.