Suspected Land Baron Accused of Defrauding Home Se...

Suspected Land Baron Accused of Defrauding Home Seeker

Munyaradzi Mashiri – Court Correspondent

A 30-year-old man from Kambuzuma, Harare, Mpilo Mathuthu, has appeared in court accused of defrauding a home seeker of US$4840 as part payment for a residential stand.

He appeared before Magistrate Ruth Moyo, who postponed the matter to tomorrow for a ruling on his bail application.

The court heard that in June 2024, Mathuthu advertised residential stands for sale in Donnybrook, Mabvuku, Harare, through a Facebook post.

He allegedly provided a physical office address: Office Number 3, 4th Floor, Galaxy Mall, at the corner of Jason Moyo Avenue and First Street in Harare.

The complainant, Innocent Nderere, responded to the advertisement and visited Mathuthu’s office, where he met both Mathuthu and his wife, Charmine Revon Ndlovu, who is currently on the run.

Mathuthu assured Nderere that the stands were available for a total purchase price of US$11,000, which piqued Nderere’s interest.

On June 29, 2024, the two parties entered into an irrevocable offer and acceptance of purchase agreement for Stand Number 15627 in Donnybrook, Mabvuku.

The agreement required Nderere to pay a deposit of US$2,000, with the remaining balance of US$9,000 to be paid in monthly installments of US$375.

Between July 2024 and February 2025, Nderere made several payments totaling US$4,840 towards the purchase.

Each payment was acknowledged with a receipt.

However, in March 2025, when Nderere sought Mathuthu’s assistance to occupy the stand, Mathuthu became evasive.

Upon visiting the office, Nderere discovered that Mathuthu had vacated the premises and relocated to an unknown address. This prompted Nderere to file a police report.

The court heard that Mathuthu misrepresented himself and his capacity to sell the stand, resulting in Nderere suffering financial prejudice amounting to US$4,840.

To date, no funds have been recovered.

Documents, including the irrevocable offer and acceptance of purchase, a memorandum of agreement of sale, and payment receipts, will be presented in court as evidence.