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Zvandasara, Tichaona Suruware and Blessing Sigareta are being accused of grabbing 84 000 hectares of land belonging to Zanu-PF Central Committee member Cde Nyasha Chikwinya in Hatcliffe.
They allocated the land to unsuspecting 820 home seekers under their housing co-operative.
Harare magistrate Ms Anita Tshuma on Tuesday set down the matter for trial on June 28.
The State is on record telling the court that over 800 witnesses were expected to give evidence in the trial.
Mr Oliver Marwa is appearing for the State.
Harare lawyer Mr Tapson Dzvetero of Antonio and Dzvetero law firm who is representing the trio described the pending trial as possibly one of the longest in the country.
“The State is on record and still insists that it is bringing over 800 witnesses for the trial that commences on June 28,” he said.
“We are yet to see if they bring them and what they will all have to say.
“I am yet to be furnished with the statements of the said 800 witnesses.”
Mr Marwa confirmed the State’s position, saying if there was need for changes, they will be made in due course.
“Yes, there are more than 800 witnesses,” he said.
“We still maintain that position, but if there are any changes they will be communicated in due course.”
According to the State, Zvandasara of Plot 7 Weston Glen Forest is the president of an unregistered Harare North Housing Co-operative Union. Cde Chikwinya is the
director of Pilgrims Rest Properties, which specialises in property development.
The State alleges that during the land redistribution exercise, Cde Chikwinya was allocated Pilgrims Rest Farm measuring 150 hectares.
But Government re-demarcated the land into two and the other half was allocated to Mama Mafuyana Housing Co-operative.
Alternative land for Cde Chikwinya’s company was also identified at Hatcliffe North Phase two.
Cde Chikwinya obtained a development permit number SL818 from the Department of Physical Planning.
On June 21 last year, Cde Chikwinya and the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development signed a memorandum of agreement allocating the land and transferring administration into her name.
She started servicing the land, subdividing it into low, medium and high-density stands under layout plan number HOE27.
Dr Sasha Jogi prepared the layout, allocated stands and sold them to clients.
Zvandasara, Suruware and Sigareta who knew about the project, allegedly misrepresented to unsuspecting home seekers that they had lawfully acquired the same piece of land.
It is the State’s case that the three sold 496 stands to home seekers who immediately occupied the land.
Cde Chikwinya on that count suffered financial prejudice to the tune of US$2,7 million.
In the second count, the complainant is the chairman of Alpha Developers, Mr Jonathan Gapare, who is said to be also in the business of developing properties.
Mr Gapare applied to Government for a piece of land adjacent to that of Cde Chikwinya for land development by his company Alpha Developers.
Using the same modus operandi, Zvandasara sold 324 stands prejudicing Mr Gapare of US$1 555 000.
Online Reporter