Widow sells house twice

Margaret Matibiri Herald Reporter
A Chitungwiza granny allegedly connived with her daughter and fraudulently resold her late huband’s house.

Christina Rambanapasi (60) and her late husband, Charles Java, had sold the Crowborough residential property in Harare in 1998. The property was, however, not transferred into the names of the new owners – Magnet and Michael Kuutsi.

This was because the property was under a mortgage and ownership could only be changed after the loan had been fully serviced. The Kuutsi family are said to have taken over payment of the loan which they fully serviced in 2004.

The court heard that when the new owners sought to change ownership of the property, Rambanapasi became evasive. In 2008, she connived with her daughter, Mavis Madzivanzira (38), to register the property in the late Java’s name before reselling it to Vongai Muruvi.

Rambanapasi and Madzivanzira recently appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Barbra Chimboza facing fraud charges. They were granted $100 bail each and ordered to report to the police Commercial Crimes Unit every Friday.

Prosecutor Ms Linda Gadzikwa alleged that Rambanapasi and her late husband sold their property to Magnet and her now late husband for Z$42 000 in 1998.

The property was under a mortgage of Z$92 337.81. Rambanapasi registered the estate in her late husband’s name with the Master of the High Court after misrepresenting that Java had left the house as one of his assets, the court heard.

In 2015, it is alleged that Magnet was served with an eviction order by Muruvi who had bought the house from Rambanapasi. This prompted a police report.