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Fungai Jachi Court Correspondent
Two senior officials from Vanguard Housing Cooperative, appeared in court yesterday facing accusations of swindling home-seekers of more than $111 000 in a botched housing stands deal.

Appearing before Harare magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo, the chairman of the cooperative Colleen Muchingami (25) and his secretary Samuel Mapfuwa (36) denied the allegations.

They were both remanded to October 23 on $300 bail each.

As part of their bail conditions, the pair was ordered not to interfere with witnesses and to stay at the addresses they supplied to the court.

They were also ordered to report once every week at CID serious frauds.

The pair is represented by Mr John Ndomene.

The prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira, alleged that sometime in February 2012 the pair formed Vanguard Housing Cooperative with 152 members.

It is alleged that members paid $50 as joining fee and a monthly subscription of $60.

The court heard that in October 2014 the pair built an office on a piece of land in Marimba opposite Mufakose High 3.

Allegations are that they constructed the office on land that did not legally belong to them.

It is the State’s case that the pair went on to illegally open roads without any surveying.

The pair misrepresented to the co-operative members that the land belonged to Vanguard Housing Cooperative.

On August 14 this year, City of Harare reported the matter to the police indicating that the cooperative had illegally occupied the land.

They were later arrested.

The pair allegedly swindled the co-operative members of $111 600.