Convicted land fraud ex-Chitown councillor on the ...

Convicted land fraud ex-Chitown councillor on the run

Gilbert Munetsi

A warrant of arrest for a former councillor has been issued by a Chitungwiza Magistrate in a case in which the former was convicted of fraud.

Charamba Mlambo, a former Ward 7 councillor, was found guilty of defrauding a land seeker, Isaac Nhamburo, of US$11 900 in a land deal that later turned sour.

While a full trial found Mlambo guilty, he was sentenced to 36 months imprisonment, but 12 months were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

Another 12 were suspended on condition that he reimburses the complainant, while the remaining 12 months were commuted to community service at Tasimukira Primary School where Mlambo was to perform 420 hours of community service.

Magistrate Winfilda Tiyatara has since issued a warrant of arrest – Crime Reg Number 322/8/22 and CRB Number CHTP2525/22 - for the former councillor who is now believed to be on the run.

Sources confided to this publication that Mlambo, whose given address is House Number 32453 Unit G, Seke, earlier removed all stock from a business premises he was operating, Leisure Centre, and is believed to be holed up in Mozambique.

While he had managed to pay US$1 000 of the total owed to the complainant, Mlambo had committed to settling the US$10 900 balance before April 20, a promise he failed to fulfil.

It is the state’s case that sometime in August 2021, Mlambo misrepresented to Nhamburo that he owned stand number 36543 Unit G, Seke, and that he was selling it for US$18 000.

He then showed a fictitious offer letter for the stand in his name to an interested Nhamburo, making him believe the papers were genuine.

When the complainant had paid a total amount of US$11 900 to Mlambo towards purchase of the stand, he was surprised to discover that someone had delivered bricks at the same residential site, prompting him to seek Mlambo who then became elusive.

Nhamburo then visited Chitungwiza Municipality Acting Housing director, Tendai Chinganga, who checked the council files.

It was established that the offer letter bearing Mlambo's name had not been issued by the council. He was advised that the stand in question actually belonged to one Herbert Chiroodza who had bought it from the council, according to council papers.

Nhamburo then reported the matter at St Mary's Police Station leading to Mlambo’s arrest.

This is not the first time that Mlambo has been implicated in a scam involving land. During his tenure in council, an internal audit conducted by the local authority alleged that between July 2-November 3, 2015, he had grabbed 41 residential stands. No conviction was made.