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Yeukai Karengezeka 

Court Correspondent 

HARARE businessman Michael Kawanzaruwa is back in court facing fresh fraud charges after he allegedly duped a property buyer of US$15 000.

Kawanzaruwa appeared before Harare magistrate Dennis Mangosi who remanded him out of custody to April 27.

Prosecutor, Mr Rufaro Chonzi alleged that on March 28, 2021, Kawanzaruwa, in connivance with Martin Kambanja, who is already on remand, advertised that they were selling residential stands in Warren Park. 

Mr Caleb Chihlangu saw the newspaper advertisement and was interested in buying a stand. He met Kawanzaruwa at his office in Gunhill.

Kawanzaruwa told Mr Chihlangu that he had a stand in Warren Park D measuring 350 square metres, which was selling for US$7 800. 

Mr Chihlangu agreed and on 31 March 2021 he went to the duo’s offices and paid a deposit of US$2 500. Kawanzaruwa allegedly indicated that he was the owner of the stand and drafted an agreement of sale which Mr Chihlangu signed.

Kawanzaruwa allegedly then gave Mr Chihlangu an offer letter and an agreement of sale with City of Harare and told him that everything was above board. 

However, Mr Chihlangu saw the offer letter stamp was backdated to 30 March 2020 and he became suspicious. 

This was after he had already paid US$8 000 for the stand and requested for a site plan. He also started building a cottage.

Sometime in November 2021 while at the cottage, Mr Chihlangu was approached by Veronica Chituwo who told him that the stand belonged to her and demanded that he stop developing it. She was allocated the stand by Warren Park D Collective Housing Co-operative.

Mr Chihlangu then approached Kawanzaruwa and told him about the developments and he promised to resolve the issue but he never acted on the matter.