The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP)’s Commercial Crimes Unit arrested two more suspects in the Rusape Town Council stands corruption scandal.
Some senior employees in the local authority’s housing department had already been nabbed over the scandal.
Some Rusape Town Council staff members and their associates allegedly defrauded the local authority and individuals of over US$500 000 through illegal residential stands deals.
The <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/rusape-stands-racket-sucks-two-more/">Manica Post</a> reported that last week, Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers arrested two former interns who were allegedly working with former housing clerk, Jacob Chiraswa, who is on the run.
The trio allegedly duped two individuals of US$18 000 after fraudulently selling them the local authority’s stands.
The two suspects, Simbarashe Machemedze (27) and Tafadzwa Nyakuwanikwa (27) appeared separately before Rusape magistrate, Annie Ndiraya.
They were granted $50 000 bail each and remanded to 6 March.
Prosecutor, Marlon Makamba, alleged that Machemedze, working in cahoots with Chiraswa, sold a residential stand to Simbarashe Matunga after misleading him that it belonged to him (Machemedze). Said the prosecutor:
<blockquote>
Sometime in December 2021, Mr Matunga was looking for a residential stand in Rusape and got information that Machemedze was selling a stand.
When Mr Matunga approached him, Machemedze told him that he was selling his stand along Nyanga Drive in Rusape.
Machemedze allowed Mr Matunga to view the stand and asked for US$10 500 for it. 
Machemedze told Mr Matunga that he would facilitate the change of ownership of the said property once the whole amount was paid.
Machemedze then connived with Jacob Chiraswa and manipulated the Rusape Town Council’s filling system.
The two registered the stand into the complainant’s name to make Mr Matunga believe that the transaction was genuine.
</blockquote>
The matter only came to light when Matunga was about to develop the stand and was told that the stand was fraudulently transferred into his name.
He then reported the matter to the police leading to Machemedze’s arrest.
Makamba told the court that Nyakuwanikwa and Chiraswa allegedly used the same method to dupe Egypt Mashiri. He said:
<blockquote>
Sometime in April 2021, Nyakuwanikwa connived with Chiraswa to defraud unsuspecting home-seekers.
Chiraswa identified Stand Number 4184, Crocodile, which was among stands reserved for the council.
Nyakuwanikwa approached Mr Mashiri and advised him that Rusape Town Council was selling the said stand for US$8 000. 
Nyakuwanikwa told Mr Mashiri that the stand would be transferred into the buyer’s name immediately after the payment of the purchase price.
The complainant sourced US$7 500 from his South Africa-based brother, Mr Misheck Mashiri.
He supplied his brother’s details to the Nyakuwanikwa who then took them to Chiraswa who fraudulently changed the stand details in the council’s system into Mr Misheck Mashiri’s name.
Nyakuwanikwa and Chiraswa did not issue a receipt to Mr Mashiri and converted the money to their own use. Mr Mashiri began to construct a house on the stand.
He approached Rusape Town Council for the third stage approval of his proposed house and that is when he was advised to stop any further developments since the stand had been fraudulently issued.
</blockquote>

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