Brother turns into ‘estate agent’

 

Tendai Gukutikwa
Weekender Reporter

Two Chigodora siblings are entangled in an inheritance wrangle after one of them allegedly sub-divided their late father’s land and sold it as peri-urban residential stands without the other’s consent.

The step-siblings, Lameck Makate and Kidwell Makate, recently appeared before Acting Chief Zimunya’s court.

Lameck argued that Kidwell should stop selling the land near Saburi Business Centre in Chigodora.

He claimed that he is the rightful heir of their late father’s estate.

The two’s late father was a polygamist and Lameck is the senior wife’s first son, while Kidwell is the junior wife’s first son.

Lameck said his goodwill backfired after he had allowed Kidwell to stay at the homestead as he was away working in Harare.

“Since he is my brother, I parcelled part of our father’s land to Kidwell for him to build his own homestead. He stayed there while I worked in Harare.

“However, I was shocked when I heard that he had sub-divided the land and was selling it as residential stands to land seekers,” he said.

When Lameck finally retired and went back to Chigodora, Kidwell refused to vacate the homestead.

“He told me that he was paying council levies for the land through the village head and that the land is not mine. I was paying for the land and never defaulted. The village head can vouch for me.

“All I want is my land back as I inherited it from my father.

“ Is it a crime that I let him stay at my place?” asked Lameck.
Kidwell, however, argued that the land belonged to their late father and that in his (father)’s will, there was no mention that Lameck would inherit it.

He said instead, the land in question was handed over to his mother by his father.

“I am staying on my late mother’s land and Lameck is lying that he is the one who allocated me that property. He never inherited that land.

“How can he inherit my mother’s land when his own mother had her own land? I have every right to do what I want with my inheritance – selling the land or keeping it should be my decision.

“He is the one who was not in good books with our father as he was based in Harare and would rarely come home. I was quite close to my father, which is why he parcelled the fertile land to me,” said Kidwell.

However, Villagehead Matika said the land belongs to Lameck as he inherited it from his late father.

She, however, confirmed that both men have been paying levies for the same piece of land for the past few years and apologised to Kidwell for collecting money from him.

“I am really sorry for the double collection of money for the same land. When Lameck left Kidwell at his homestead, we agreed that it was the right thing to do instead of leaving his brother roaming around the country with nowhere to go.

“I was actually surprised when Lameck approached me recently and told me that Kidwell is refusing to move from the land and that he was selling the land behind his brother’s back.

“All along I thought they were doing everything together,” she said.

Acting Chief Zimunya said he needed to be on the ground in Chigodora and deal with the matter from there.

He adjourned the matter to a later to allow him to do an inspection in loco.