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The City of Harare has carrued out house demolitions in Belvedere South, near Harare Institute of Technology, following a court order.
Apparently, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has published allegations against two suspected illegal land dealers, Lillian Chitanga and Spencer Mabeka in relation to the area in question.
The two are directors of Brickstone Builders and Contractors Private Limited, and have been involved in a high-profile land fraud case that left many Hararians shocked.
As stated by NPA, the duo allegedly hatched a plan and established a fraudulent scheme involving a parcel of land in Belvedere Ridge View, resulting in the demolition of luxury homes built by unsuspecting buyers.
According to the NPA statement, the saga dates back to 2002, when the City of Harare approved a subdivision plan for 52 residential stands in Belvedere Ridge View.
However, the plan was never implemented.
In 2021, Chitanga and Mabeka allegedly forged multiple documents, including an approval layout plan and offer letters from city officials, giving the appearance that their company owned the 14.4354 hectares of land.
Equipped with these falsified papers, the two allegedly invaded the land, hired developers, and began selling the subdivided stands to prospective buyers.
The suspects reportedly sold land to 45 unsuspecting buyers, with payment amounts ranging from USD25,000 to USD40,000. They issued fake lease agreements and offer letters, falsely presenting themselves as legitimate land sellers.
Buyers started construction on their properties, unaware of the fraudulent scheme.
However, the city council later deemed these structures unauthorized and ordered their demolition, sparking outrage and significant financial losses for the homeowners.
Chitanga and Mabeka allegedly attempted to prevent the demolitions through an urgent application to the High Court, but investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) revealed that the documents they presented were inauthentic.
