The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has confirmed the arrest of Nicholas Serima, a secretary at Innop Housing Development, on fraud allegations linked to the sale of land in Masvingo.
According to ZACC, Serima allegedly misrepresented ownership of a residential stand at Victoria Range, leading to the sale of land that had been reserved for public infrastructure.
"The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission confirms the arrest of Nicholas Serima, a secretary at Innop Housing Development (Pvt) Ltd, on charges of fraud,” the commission said in a statement.
“It is alleged that Serima deceived Dr Tinashe Chiremba into buying a piece of land at Victoria Range, Masvingo.”
Investigations by the anti-graft body reportedly established that the land in question had been earmarked for the construction of a public school and did not belong to Innop Housing Development.
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“Investigations established that the land was reserved for a public school and was not owned by Innop Housing Development (Pvt) Ltd,” ZACC said.
“As a result of the misrepresentation, Dr Chiremba suffered prejudice amounting to US$6,000.”
The commission said the accused is expected to appear in court on summons on a date that is yet to be communicated.
Land allocation disputes and allegations of fraudulent sales have become increasingly common in Zimbabwe’s urban and peri-urban property markets, particularly in rapidly expanding housing developments where overlapping claims, irregular allocations and weak regulatory oversight have triggered conflicts involving home seekers, developers and local authorities.
Authorities have in recent years intensified investigations into land-related fraud cases amid growing concerns over illegal parcelling out of land reserved for public amenities such as schools, clinics and recreational spaces.
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