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Andile Tshuma: Bulawayo Bureau
A 53-YEAR-OLD Thorngroove suburb man has appeared in court for allegedly stealing his landlord’s house. Phillip Ndlovu appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya facing forgery and theft charges.

He pleaded not guilty and was remanded out of custody pending the engagement of a signature specialist to deal with the forgery issue. For the State, Mr Busani Moyo said sometime in July last year, Ndlovu approached Emily Mathe (59) looking for a house to lease.

Mathe allegedly agreed to lease her five-roomed house along Wentworth Road in Thorngroove to Ndlovu. “In July 2015, the accused approached the complainant looking for a house to rent. The complainant indeed agreed that she had a house to be rented belonging to her son, Nkosilathi Mathe, who is based in the United Kingdom,” said the prosecutor.

The court heard that a verbal agreement was reached that the accused would pay $300 per month in rentals.

However, that month, Ndlovu allegedly only managed to pay $270 and promised to pay the difference later. Mr Moyo told the court that in September last year, Mathe gave Ndlovu the power of attorney to manage some of her businesses while she was away in the United Kingdom.

Ndlovu allegedly took Mathe’s signature and national ID number from the power of attorney document and used it to steal her house.

“The accused scanned the complainant’s signature and produced a fake acknowledgement receipt, claiming that he had bought house No. 3, Wentworth Road, Thorngroove, Bulawayo. Mathe returned from the United Kingdom a month later and asked for rentals from Moyo, who started giving excuses and postponing payment dates,” said the prosecutor.

“The accused person kept on giving excuses until Mathe was forced to approach the Rent Board and file a report, on March 17, this year. The Rent Board issued a directive that Ndlovu should vacate Mathe’s premises before March 31, 2016.

“The accused person allegedly failed to vacate the house and only returned later with a fake acknowledgement receipt, claiming that the complainant had sold him the house for $23 000.” Mathe reported the matter to the police.

Meanwhile, an administrator with Mabuye and Zvarevashe Legal Practitioners last week appeared in court for allegedly conniving with three co-accused to fraudulently sell a residential stand, reports Fungai Lupande.

The administrator, Leonard Zvarevashe (32), is jointly charged with Andersom Mukombami (40), Abraham Makoni (31) and Andrew Bidi (42). They are facing fraud charges.

They appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Arnold Maburo and the matter was adjourned to October 6. The complainant, Muchaneta Chimutimunzeve, is an accountant at Avis Rent A Car located at the Harare International Airport.

Mukombami is an estate agent while Makoni and Bidi are unemployed. Prosecutor Mrs Idah Mateke-Maromo alleged that sometime in February this year, Chimutimunzeve – who was looking for a residential stand – saw an advert on a classified website.

Mukombami was advertising Stand No. 215 Goodhope and Chimutimunzeve contacted him. He introduced himself as a real estate agent and confirmed that the stand was for sale.

After viewing the stand, it is alleged Chimutimunzeve made several trips to the stand but did not meet the owner. On April 22 this year, Zvarevashe took Chimutimunzeve to Zimra for interviews and he introduced Makoni who was in the company of a woman.

It is alleged that due to the misrepresentation, Chimutimunzeve paid various amounts amounting to $18 720 towards City of Harare rates, conveyance and deposit, bond registration and purchase price.

The court heard that on June 2 this year, she paid another $17 000 into Mabuye and Zvarevashe’s account. After making the payment, she received a phone call from Gelly Mwanasawani advising her that he was the owner of the stand and was not selling it.

The following day, she reported the matter to the police leading to the arrest of Mukombami and Zvarevashe, who in turn implicated Makoni and Bidi. It is alleged that Makoni was arrested at Mabuye and Zvarevashe Legal Practitioners on June 20, where he had gone to collect his balance.

He was found in possession of Tendai Mwanasawani’s national identity card and debit card. It was discovered that Mwanasawani was the rightful owner of the stand. Chimutimunzeve lost $37 000 while $17 000 was recovered.