adminGweru City Council has since issued a warning to residents to be on the lookout for the bogus property developers.
In an interview, Gweru Deputy Mayor Clr Taurai Demo said the local authority was worried by the high number of bogus property developers that have opened offices in the city.
He said the bogus property developers were collecting cash from home seekers promising to provide residential stands which they did not have.
Clr Demo’s remarks come at a time when the council is investigating a number of cases involving some bogus property developers who, in a bid to convince home seekers, are going to the extent of hiring earth moving machines like graders to clear land which does not belong to them.
“All the clearing of land and the machinery on site is just a dress up meant to give an impression that some development is taking place when actually there is nothing happening. Gweru residents be warned, there are lots of bogus property developers on the loose out there,” he said.
Clr Demo said the bogus property developers would quickly disappear after swindling unsuspecting clients of their cash.
“The council of late has been experiencing a problem whereby council land is being cleared without its knowledge.
“At times the targeted areas are pegged for future development and these bogus developers are thus disturbing the development of the city,” he said.
Clr Demo said residents should be wary of bogus private developers.
“These bogus property developers are desperate to convince home seekers that they have indeed acquired land by proceeding to hire graders and clear land which belongs to the
city council. They would, however, vanish soon after clearing the area,” he said.
Clr Demo said some of the areas which were being cleared without the knowledge of the local authority include woodlands along the Gweru-Kwekwe road, an area near Airforce of Zimbabwe’s Thornhill Airbase along the Gweru-Mvuma road and another open space along the Gweru-Bulawayo road.
“These activities show that these companies are determined to convince home seekers to part with their cash purporting to be servicing land when they are not. We would like to warn residents not to fall prey to these bogus property developers,” he said.
Cases of bogus land developers and co-operatives that shortchange residents are on the increase in the country.
Unsuspecting home-seekers have lost thousands of dollars to bogus property developers.
Londile Moyo
Online Reporter