Woman Affairs minister Nyasha Chikwinya has been taken to court for allegedly falsifying documents to claim ownership of land occupied by a housing co-operative in Harare North.
by XOLISANI NCUBE
Mama MaFuyana Housing Co-operative dragged Chikwinya to the Harare Civil Court after she allegedly encroached into their property and “grabbed” their land before parcelling it out to co-operatives linked to her.
But the minister through her lawyers, Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, said she was legally allocated Subdivision 26 of Pilgrim Rest portion of Glen Forest in 2003.
According to court papers filed by the housing co-operative’s chairman Boniface Mutize through Tavenhave and Machingauta Legal Practitioners, Chikwinya allegedly falsified documents to claim ownership of the land at the centre of the dispute.
“The document (ministerial directive) referred to is doubtful. At a mere looking of the document, it bears no letterhead, it has not been signed by the concerned persons for verification,” the affidavit signed by Mutize reads.
The matter has been set down for hearing at the Harare Civil Courts on Friday.
According to court papers, Mama MaFuyana Housing Co-operative was allocated the remainder of Glen Forest of Borrowdale Estate in 2011 for residential purposes.
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The co-operative members accuse Chikwinya of disturbing their peace and are seeking an interdict order against her.
They claim that Chikwinya grabbed part of the property which they had been allocated and blocked Mutize from accessing his stand which is 500 metres from her residence.
But the minister in her opposing papers states that it was, in fact, the co-operative which was encroaching into her private property and alleges that she is the lawful occupier of the land under dispute.
“On the papers, it is clear that I am the lawful occupier of the land in question,” she states in her affidavit.
