Harare chief clerical officer arrested

Police have arrested a Harare City Council senior official and two others for allegedly orchestrating a plan to unlawfully acquire derelict land worth US$400 000.

Felix Chisango (48), Abel Zhawao (50) and Conwell Mutevhe (38) were released on US$150 bail each after appearing before Harare regional magistrate Taurai Manuwere yesterday.

The trio will return to court on June 28 for routine remand pending finalisation of investigations.

Chisango is employed as a chief clerical officer in the council’s finance department, while Zhuwao is the director of Greenway Multiple Agency (Pvt) Ltd.

Mutevhe is a legal practitioner and managing partner at Harare-based MC Mukome Legal Practitioners. Prosecutor Anesu Chirenje stated that in 2018, Lusitania Primary School in Harare recognized stands 314 and 315 Athlone Township of Lot 2A Greengrove, Harare, as derelict land. She stated that the procedure was handled by Cannan Mugiyi, a consultant and town planner on the land abandoned by the United Services Club. Chirenje told the court that rates were not being paid for more than 20 years, adding that a caveat had been placed on the property by the court declaring that the land could not be disposed of without the consent of the municipality.

Lusitania Primary School requested that the City of Harare use the Derelict Land Act and the Title Registration Act so that it may lawfully obtain title to the land. Mugiyi, working on behalf of the school, informed council of his intention to acquire the dilapidated site because his client planned to build a high school on the stands. It is claimed that Chisango obtained information on the derelict land when the council valuation department wrote to the chamber secretary requesting permission to proceed under the Title Registration and Derelict Land Act. Chisango allegedly hired Zhawao to fraudulently acquire the property before assigning Mutevhe the task of applying for title registration.

Mutevhe is accused of preparing a High Court complaint on behalf of Greenway Multiple Agency, alleging that the land in question was properly bought from United Services Club in 2008. To cover up the deceit, the three allegedly attached a forged agreement of sale purporting to be signed by Greenway Multiple Agency and United Service Club. The court also heard that the trio reportedly falsified the signature of Amos Kanyongo, a director of Greenway Multiple Agency.

The High Court application included a foundational affidavit reportedly deposed by Kanyongo, as well as his signature. Mutevhe allegedly prepared the application, but instead of his name, he included the information of Mabasa Crispen Mukome, a senior partner at his firm. He allegedly went on to falsify Mukome's signatures on all court documents, as well as provide bogus firm references. Mutevhe also allegedly pressured Tawanda Gondo, a messenger at MC Mukome Legal Practitioners, into misrepresenting that he had served Brighton Vito, a bogus United Service Club agent.

It is further claimed that the trio fabricated a sale agreement for the land, and that the High Court approved the order for title change as a result of the misrepresentations. Zhuwao allegedly compensated Chisango by placing him as a director at Greenway Multiple Agency. The trio went on to sell the land to Referral Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd for US$400,000, with the earnings divided among themselves.