Serial fraudster appears in court over US$44k case...

Serial fraudster appears in court over US$44k cases

Michael Mashiri

A Chitungwiza serial fraudster who defrauded more than US$44 000 through selling non-existent stands has appeared in court.

Nelson Mandizvidza, 49, appeared before magistrate Dennis Mangosi charged with six counts of fraud.

The State alleges that from 2013 to 2018 at number 25 George Silundika Avenue, Harare, Mandizvidza lied to Daniel Hwata after placing advertisements in The Herald and H-Metro, that he owned residential stands with cottages for sale in Windsor Park, Ruwa and Ushewokunze, in Harare.

Hwata visited Mandizvidza's offices on December 14, 2018 and was told that the latter had stands selling for US$18 000 in Ruwa, Southlea Park and White House and the complainant chose a stand in Ruwa.

He then deposited US$6 500 through Ecocash into Mandizvidza's mobile money account and was given receipts.

On December 15, 2018, Mandizvidza took Hwata to Ruwa for stand allocation but Hwata did not see any residential stands with a cottage.

Hwata asked for the specific stand he was promised and he was told that there were no such stands in Ruwa but in Ushewokunze.

Again hey did not find any stands with cottages in Ushewokunze and Hwata demanded his money back since nothing had materialised but Mandizvidza kept on giving excuses to date.

Hwata suffered a loss of US$6 500 and nothing was recovered.

In February 2013, Mandizvidza placed another advertisement offering residential stands around Harare with Tendai Musvosvi choosing one that was said to be in Eastview Phase 14.

Mandizvidza went on to show Musvosvi a 2 000-square metre stand in Eastview which he claimed was being sold for US$18 000. Musvosvi had an option of paying US$5 000 and occupy as well as start developing and paying off the balance in five years.

Musvosvi paid US$5 000 which was receipted but when he went back to the stand with the intention of starting building, he discovered that someone had already built a cottage on the same stand.

When Hwata went back for explanations, Mandizvidza promised to give Musvosvi another stand in Ruwa, Whitehouse or Glaudina but he never compensated anything to date.

As a result, Musvosvi lost US$5 000 and nothing was recovered.

On November 1, 2013, the court heard, Mandizvidza approached Stephen Museve, claiming he was selling a 300-square meter residential stands at US$4 500.

He was told that he would be allocated a residential stand of his choice once he paid the required deposit of US$1 500, which he did.

Mandizvidza assured Museve that he would be allocated his stand on February, 21, 2020, but after the date lapsed. Mandizvidza started to give false promises and blocked communication with Museve.

Museve lost US$1 500 and nothing was recovered.

On November 28, 2008, at Mandizvidza's offices at corner Chinhoyi Street and Jason Moyo Avenue, Florence Sande Ruweta joined Mandizvidza's Low Income Housing Developers.

Mandizvidza made Sande to pay US$1 340 monthly for her to acquire a 1200-square metre residential stand.

She paid the amount religiously from 2008 to 2010 when she went to Mandizvidza's offices for allocation of the stand.

She was taken to Eastview where she was allocated Stand number 13144 Eastview, Harare.

Sande, later went to her stand for development but she was surprised to find out that there was a structure which had been built by someone.

She went back to Mandizvidza’s offices for clarity and was told that she would be allocated another stand in Soromiyo, Ruwa nupon payment of a US$1260 top-up.

She paid he amount on September 13, 2016, at Mandizvidza's new offices at number 25 George Silundika Avenue, Harare.

On May 25, 2018, Sande was given a temporary structure permit and was allocated stand number 16623 Soromiyo, Ruwa.

She drilled a borehole at the said stand, but when she later visited the stand, she discovered that another person had put some bricks at the site.

In September 2019, Sande went again to Mandizvidza and was told to top up US$2 000 so that she would be allocated a bigger stand and she paid but was not allocated any stand.

She kept going for clarity and was then asked to pay another US$1 000 and she paid.

After that she was allocated stand number 19975 B, Ruwa but she later discovered that it was someone else's stand.

Sande lost a total of US$8 000 to Mandizvidza and nothing was recovered.

In December 2018, Hazvinei Tomu saw an advertisement that claimed Mandizvidza was selling stands around Harare.

Tomu went to Mandizvidza's offices and was told him that the 2 000-square metre stands she was interested in were available along Masvingo road near the Skyline tollgate at a cost of US$13 650.

Tomu was told that if she paid half the amount, she would be allocated the stand and sign an agreement of sale later.

She paid the amount through instalments and later asked Mandizvidza for allocation and he told her to add more.

By 2020, Tomu had paid US$18 350 but was never allocated the stand.

Tomu started to pressurise Mandizvidza who later told her that he was going to allocate her two stands in Winsor Park but later changed and promised to give one in Ushewokunze and was asked to add another US$2 700.

After payment, Tomu realised that the stand was not Mandizvidza's but belonged to Charles Kundira.

On another separate account, Rodwell Chihwai responded to an advertisement and went to Mandizvidza’s offices where he paid US$2 500 for a high density residential stand but was never allocated the stand.

He tried to make follow-ups on Mandizvidza, but he told him that his past contributions were very old so he was supposed to pay more for the allocation.

Chihwai later realised that Mandizvidza had no stand for sale and there were many people who had reported him to the police on the issue.

Chihwai lost US$2 500 through Mandizvidza's lies.

Tomu then later heard that Mandizvidza was in Chitungwiza and called police, leading to his arrest. She lost US$20 900 and nothing was recovered.

The State alleges that US$44 400 was lost through Mandizvidza’s actions.

Mangosi remanded Mandizvidza to today for bail application.