FRAUDULENT transactions done by the late Chitungwiza land baron Fredreck Mabamba involving land worth over US$16 million are following him to the grave, with one of the victims claiming three residential stands or US$13 000 from his estate.
Mabamba left behind a multi-million dollar estate, which is in its initial stages at the Master of High Court and the first victim’s claim is likely to open a floodgate of civil claims against the estate.
Among properties owned by Mabamba is a massive complex near Chitungwiza Town Centre, which is popularly known as “Mabamba Complex”, various properties registered under his schools — Long Range Academy, Rioboth Mission Primary and a fleet of vehicles.
Recently-appointed executors are still compiling a list of properties forming the estate of the late property mogul.
Mabamba collapsed and died in March this year while in remand prison. He had been referred to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare where he was under guard.
He was facing charges of illegally parcelling out land worth over US$16 million belonging to Chitungwiza Municipality.
He died as his lawyer, Mr Tapiwa Munodawafa from Nyikadzino, Simango and Associates, was making submissions for his bail appeal at the High Court.
Judgment on the appeal was reserved.
A victim of Mabamba’s land deals, Mr Ezra Chidavaenzi of Greendale, Harare, has since written to one of the executors claiming back the US$13 000 he had paid in respect of three residential stands in Unit G, Seke, which later turned out to be the property of Chitungwiza Municipality.
He is claiming the money or alternatively three stands from the estate.
Mr Chidavaenzi had obtained a court order during Mabamba’s lifetime for payment of the money or delivery of the stands.
When Mabamba died, he was still to comply with the order in question, hence the victim has engaged the executor to the estate.
“Despite several demands to have my money refunded, the defendants (late Mabamba and his United We Stand Multi-purpose Cooperative) refused or neglected to pay.
“This led to the court processes and ultimately to the High Court, granting judgment in my favour on January 20, 2019. The court ordered the defendants to refund me US$13 390 with interest at the rate of 5% per annum from the date of issue of summons to the date of payment in full. It is against this above detail that I am lodging this claim of US$13 390 against the estate of the late Fraderick Mabamba,” reads the letter.
According to the claim, Mabamba through the cooperative, advertised that he was selling stands in Unit G-Extension, Seke.
“I approached the defendants looking for residential stands. Defendants and I signed an agreement of sale on 28 October 2001. I paid US$13 390 as the whole required amount for three residential stands which were allocated to me on paper as Stand Numbers 454, 455 and 456 Unit G Extension, Seke. It subsequently turned out to that the stands belonged to the Chitungwiza Town Council and had already been allocated to others, and that the first and second respondents had no right to sell them,” writes Mr Chidavaenzi.
Details of the transactions show that since 1999, Mabamba, a former Chitungwiza councillor and deputy mayor, abused his office and parcelled out stands without authority, pocketing US$13 724 000.
He allegedly created 200 residential stands in St Mary’s suburb, which he sold for US$600 000 and 230 stands on wetlands in Zengeza 4 worth US$1 058 000.
He allegedly sold another 57 stands in Zengeza 4 for US$3 000 each and a batch of 400 stands, which he sold in Unit A before receiving US$44 000 for two commercial stands in Unit B.
In Unit C, Mabamba allegedly sold 120 stands, while another 120 were allocated to people in Unit N and F, with one of the beneficiaries having exchanged the stand for his Toyota Gaia vehicle.
Mabamba was also accused of selling 76 stands in Unit G, 211 in Unit J, 151 in Unit K, and 227 in Unit L worth US$1 589 000.
In Unit N, Mabamba is said to have allocated 284 stands and created a stand for a hospital plus another 1 671 stands for his housing cooperative named United We Stand Multi-Purpose. – Herald
