Family left counting losses after executor sells house and disappears with US$20 000

A FAMILY in Bulawayo’s Luveve suburb was left counting losses after a man who was tasked to sell a house on its behalf allegedly sold it for US$20,000 and disappeared with the money.

Wilfred Mafuka (32) appeared on Tuesday before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Mr Taurai Manuwere facing charges of theft of trust property as defined in Section 113 (2)(a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act and making a wilfully false inventory as defined in Section 38(1) as read with Section 39 of the Administration of Estates Act.
Mafuka pleaded not guilty to the charges and was represented by his lawyer, Mr Pinias Madzivire.

“The accused did not misappropriate the funds of the estate; the funds were deposited into the Master’s Guardianship Fund Account. Moreover, the property was sold in Zimbabwe dollars, not United States dollars. He did not sign or make a false entry on the liquidation account,” said Mr Madzivire.

Principal prosecutor, Mr Milton Moyo, told the court that on October 13, 2014, Samuel Dube passed on and his estate was registered with the Master of the High Court.

“Noel Dube, who is a relative of the late Samuel Dube, was appointed executor by the Master of the High Court on 27

November 2017 to administer and execute the estate,” he said.

“On 22 May 2018, Dube gave Wilfred Mafuka a Special Power of Attorney to administer and execute the estate,” said Mr Moyo.

The court heard that among the estate of the late Dube was a house at Luveve suburb in Bulawayo. On 23 September 2018, the Master of the High Court authorised Mafuka to sell the house.

The court further heard that the accused then sold the house to Abigail Ndlovu for US$20,000 on October 8, 2018, and an agreement of sale was signed between the accused and Ndlovu.

Despite the authority granted by the Master of the High Court to distribute the proceeds of the sale of the house to the complainants, the accused allegedly failed to distribute the money to the beneficiaries and instead converted US$20,000 to his own personal use.