Machipa Arrested for Housing Fraud

Runodada Witness

ZimNow reporter

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested Partwell Machipa, a middleman, on charges of fraud related to the illegal sale of a residential stand under the Madzibaba Border Gezi Housing Cooperative in Harare.

The allegations are that sometime in 2003, Erick Mthunzi Moyo and Lucia Rukara initially joined the Madzibaba Border Gezi Housing Cooperative in 2003 and were allocated residential stands measuring 1,000 and 1,600 square meters, respectively. Later, Moyo decided to sell his stand and engaged Machipa to act as a middleman to facilitate the sale. Machipa allegedly sold the property to Simbarashe Hope Machakaire for USD 7,500, but rather than transferring the proceeds to Moyo, he is accused of keeping the funds for personal use.

Not being aware of the earlier sale, Moyo reportedly sold the same stand to another buyer, Menard Mutanga, for USD 7,000. After this transaction, Moyo informed Machipa that the stand was no longer available for sale.

Realizing the legal complications that could arise, Machipa reportedly attempted to address the issue by transferring USD 1,500 to Moyo, advising him of the prior sale to Machakaire. However, Moyo allegedly refused to accept the funds and returned them to Machipa.

As Mutanga was expecting to take ownership of the stand, Machipa reportedly attempted to remedy the situation by allocating him a different stand, one that was already assigned to Rukara.

Meanwhile, Machakaire, believing he had legitimate ownership, began construction on the property but was later informed that it legally belonged to someone else. This revelation prompted Machakaire to report the matter to ZACC, ultimately leading to Machipa’s arrest.

Machipa has since appeared in Mbare Magistrates’ Court, where he was granted bail set at USD 200. He is scheduled to reappear on November 14, 2024, as the investigation continues into the disputed property sales