Zimpapers Logo

Municipal Reporter

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested MDC Alliance’s Chitungwiza ward 12 councillor Darlington Musonza on allegations of selling a non-existent stand to a desperate home seeker.

Musonza, who has several other pending cases before the courts, appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court on fresh charges of fraud. He was represented by Ms Lorretta Makumbe when he appeared before magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje who remanded him to September 30 on $20 000 bail.

It is alleged that sometime in 2017, the complainant Kudakwashe Chatima, approached a Chitungwiza-based real estate agent Vincent Tom-Barris intending to buy a residential stand.

He was reportedly advised that Musonza was selling residential stands in the town.

Tom-Barris then facilitated a meeting between the two where Musonza indicated that he was selling a stand in Zengeza 3 Extension.

Allegations are that Chatima showed interest in the stand and agreed to purchase it for US$3 800 and later made a down payment US$3 230 through a bank transfer from his CABS bank account to Musonza’s Steward Bank account on March 13, 2017.

Another cash payment of US$570 was made to Musonza to reach the agreed purchase price with an agreement of sale having being signed after the full payment.

Musonza gave Chatima an allocation letter with a letterhead from Cone Textiles Housing Co-operative and  advised the complainant to proceed to Chitungwiza Municipality offices to process change of ownership.

However, the Chitungwiza housing director could not locate the file records for the stand.

Chatima then reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and investigations revealed that the alleged stand number 14557 was an open space which was not for residential purposes.

Chatima was duped US$3 800 in the process.

In another case, Musonza was in March this year on allegations of duping another desperate home seeker US$3 000.