Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
Two Harare men in charge of running Light to the Disabled Housing Cooperative, which was formed to ensure quality housing to people with disabilities, appeared in court on Tuesday on fraud charges.
The duo, Farai Chikuku and Aaron Madzinga, were not asked to plead when they appeared before Harare magistrate Tapiwa Kuhudzai.
Chikuku is the chairman and Madzinga is the secretary of the cooperative. The duo formed the cooperative in 2012 together with Joseph Komechayana, who is already on remand.
They advised the five complainants that they had secured land from Harare City Council and if they wanted to secure residential stands through their housing cooperative, they will pay through instalments.
The complainants started to pay some instalments to the housing cooperative through Joseph Komechayana.
The complainants were allocated stands and built structures. In December 2024, the duo called the complainants to a meeting where they advised them that they should relocate from the allocated stands.
They informed the complainants that the land belonged to Imbahuru Housing Cooperative yet they had been collecting money from them since 2012.
The complainants investigated the issue and discovered that, indeed, the land had always been owned by Imbahuru Housing Cooperative.
The complainants lost US$15 000 and nothing was recovered.
