5 nabbed over Rusape stands racket

FIVE Rusape Town Council employees appeared in court this week for allegedly defrauding the local authority and individuals of US$300 000 by illegally selling residential stands.

The stands racket which is currently being investigated by the Criminal Investigations Department’s Commercial Crimes Division has since claimed the scalp of the assistant housing director, Lee Muchingami and town planner, Blessing Kwambana.

The two were arrested early this week together with housing clerks Tendai Museka, Maina Muzariri and a former accountant, Collen Nhanga.

Another clerk, Jacob Chiraswa, is on the run and is now a fugitive from justice.

The five who were represented by legal practitioners, Messrs Munyaradzi Manyengavana, Taurai Khupe and Walter Mangwende appeared before Rusape magistrate, Ms Annie Ndiraya.

Ms Ndiraya granted them $50 000 bail each.

They were ordered to report to the police every Friday until the case is finalised and not to interfere with witnesses.

The State did not oppose bail. Prosecuting, Mr Tawanda Munjanja said Kwambana would identify undeveloped and unoccupied stands and alert his accomplices.

They would then allegedly change ownership into the names of their friends before selling them.

“Museka connived with Nhanga, Kwambana, Muzariri, Muchingami and Chiraswa to defraud Rusape Town Council. Acting in connivance, Kwambana, who is the town planner, would identify undeveloped or unoccupied stands and give the information to Muchingami.

“Muchingami would then instruct Museka and Nhanga to log into the council system and fraudulently change the ownership history of the stands.

‘‘They would fraudulently create accounts for several stands without the knowledge and authority of the council and registered owners of the stands.

“They fraudulently transferred the stands into names of other people before selling them to unsuspecting home seekers who were not on the council housing waiting list. They shared the proceeds among themselves,” said Mr Munjanja.

He said Kwambama also prepared fraudulent documents which include receipts and lease agreements and backdated them to 2012 when the last repossessions of stands were made.

They would then issue the fraudulent documents to unsuspecting buyers.

“As a result of the accused persons’ misrepresentation, Rusape Town Council suffered a prejudice of US$300 000 and nothing was recovered,” said Mr Munjanja.

Muchingami has another pending case of abuse of office after he was arrested by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC).

He stands accused of corruptly selling a residential stand.

Muchingami joined Rusape Town Council from Marondera Rural District Council after some disciplinary issues which he was cleared of.

By the time of going to print, police detectives were still picking and interviewing individuals whose names were used to change ownership of the stands.

Those picked are Tendai Ruswa, Museka’s mother; Idah Mukwada and Takudzwa Chitere and no charges were preferred against them.