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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
Six more land barons owning an unregistered housing co-operative in Harare have been arrested in connection with a fraud case in which home-seekers were swindled of about $300 000. The gang, who are the founders of Zanoremba housing co-operative, allegedly sold land belonging to Chitungwiza Municipality to home-seekers. Tendai Nherera (45), Prince Murebwa (34), Menard Chingono (45), Nyasha Marimo (54), Paul Garwe (43) and Bibiana Kasenga (37) appeared in court last week charged with fraud.

Nherera is the treasurer of the co-operative and Marimo is the vice chairman, while Murebwa and Chingono are committee members. Their alleged accomplice Kallisto Masango (43) is already on remand facing the same charge. The magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe granted them $300 bail each with the State’s consent and remanded them to tomorrow.

The prosecutor Ms Sharon Mashavira alleged that on November 15 2004, the gang, in a bid to fleece desperate home-seekers of their money, formed Zanoremba Co-operative in Unit L, Seke, Chitungwiza, in which Kallisto was appointed chairman. The court heard that the co-operative had a membership of 9 500 who paid monthly subscriptions of ZW$20 each.

In 2004, it is alleged Masango and his accomplices identified 100 hectares near Unit L, Seke, belonging to the Chitungwiza Municipality and reserved for a cemetery, residential State land and a wetland.

Masango and his accomplices started demarcating the area for residential stands and roads and told co-operative members that they had been offered the land by Chitungwiza Municipality. The members started constructing permanent structures.

It is the State’s case that the accused persons registered the co-operative with the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises and were issued with a certificate of registration. It is alleged that they started demanding a joining fee of ZW$200 and a monthly subscription of ZW$30 which they deposited into the co-operative’s ZB Bank account, which is yet to be established.

The total subscriptions made by the co-operative members amounted to $300 000 and nothing has been recovered.