Staff Writer
Former First Lady Grace Mugabe and several of her relatives and cronies will lose 14 corruptly-acquired residential stands that cover nearly 17 hectares in Borrowdale, Harare.
The stands are worth about US$12,6 million and were acquired for a song at the peak of Mrs Mugabe’s political influence. This was before the 2017 military-led Operation Restore Legacy brought Mrs Mugabe’s disruptive political ambitions to a screeching halt.
The 14 stands are in the exclusive development of Carrick Creagh in Borrowdale and extend over 167,997 square metres. At a commercial selling price of US$75 per square metre, the land is worth US$12,599,775.
The former first lady held 7,36ha of this land through ownership of four adjacent residential stands. The property was held by Montshow Private Limited and Navline Investments Private Limited, companies in which her children are directors. At US$75 per square metre, the land is officially worth US$5,525,550.
Mrs Mugabe at 10 others linked to her by blood or through business reportedly secured title to the land for peanuts because of their links to a former minister, who is said to have also facilitated sale of the state land in Borrowdale to a girlfriend at a nominal price.
In a Government Gazette last Friday, Local Government and Public Works Minister July Moyo issued notice that the stands would be reclaimed.
Citing Section 18(1)(b) of the Deeds Registries Act, the minister wants to cancel the title to the properties because the land was not properly paid for.
Minister Moyo is also using Section 308(3) of the Constitution, which states that: “It is the duty of every person who has custody or control of public property to safeguard the property and ensure that it is not lost, destroyed, damaged, misapplied or misused.”
Apart from Mrs Mugabe’s four stands, the other contentiously acquired properties are:
- 19,310 square metres owned by Olivia Tafadzwa Chinouya;
- 13,857 square metres owned by Gloryboost Investments (Pvt) Ltd;
- 12,384 square metres owned by Taruvinga Hamura;
- 12,086 square metres owned by Junior Shuvayi Gumbochuma;
- 9,592 square metres owned by Timothy Mubhawu;
- 8,003 square metres owned by Olivia Farai Mashonganyika;
- 7,081 square metres owned by Penking Investments (Pvt) Ltd.
- 4,039 square metres owned by Cavord Trading (Pvt) Ltd;
- 4,000 square metres owned by Lazarus Dagwa Kambarami Dokora; and
- 3,971 square metres owned by Comverol Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd.
