Msipa Jnr faces fraud charges
Sunday, 13 November 2011 13:39
BY EDGAR GWESHE
CEPHAS Mandlhenkosi Msipa (Jnr), the son to former Midlands governor and
Zanu PF politburo member Cephas Msipa, will stand trial for trying to
fraudulently acquire a piece of land in Harare’s Borrowdale area.
Msipa Jnr, who for the past years has been embroiled in a struggle for
control of Lot J of Borrowdale Estate (Crowhill), is set to appear in court
on November 28 to answer to charges of fraud.
He was supposed to have appeared in court on November 7 but absconded and a
warrant of arrest was issued against him. A timely intervention by his
defence team led to the cancellation of the warrant of arrest and a new
trial date was set.
Msipa has since 2004 tried to evict beneficiaries of the land reform
programme from Crowhill Farm claiming he legally owned it. However, it is
the State’s case that Msipa unlawfully and with clear intent to defraud the
State, misrepresented to one Joseph Munyanyi, an employee with the Ministry
of Lands that he had a permit to acquire the estate.
It is also alleged that he went on to register the piece of land into his
name with the Registrar of Companies using a fake permit. After making the
false presentations, Msipa proceeded to develop the plot that had been
allocated to two A2 model farmers.
According to the State outline, the piece of land was gazetted in 2003 and
published in the Government Gazette for compulsory acquisition.
The farm was deemed acquired as per schedule 7 of the constitution of
Zimbabwe Amendment No. 17.
The state alleges Msipa has continued to interfere with farming operations
of the A2 beneficiaries through pegging of housing stands, opening up of
roads, quarrying, sand abstraction and cutting down of trees among other
things.
The state also alleges Msipa’s actions are a prejudice to beneficiaries of
the land reform programme.