BY STAFF REPORTER
A Domboshava village head has been arraigned before the courts for allegedly trying to invade an apostolic sect shrine, which he wants to subdivide and sell as residential stands.
Wiriranayi Gwindi has been dragged to the Supreme Court by the Johanne Masowe Chishanu Esikiti, who claim that the shrine was given to them in 1988. They accuse the village head of trying to benefit from the land which does not belong to him.
The apostolic sect that boasts of around 5 000 worshippers is being represented by its leader Anyplay Chasi who claims that they have been worshipping at the shrine for more than three decades before Gwindi claimed that the land was his.
The matter is set to be heard in the Supreme Court under SC261/20 after both parties failed to accept the outcomes of the magistrates and High Court judgements.
In their appeal of the judgement handed down by Justice Esther Muremba, dated May 21, the apostolic sect leaders claimed that Gwindi had no right to claim that the worshipping place belongs to him.
“The court a quo erred by failing to consider that the respondent did not establish any rights in relation to the land in question and, therefore, there was no basis to make a ruling against the appellants who proved their rights in that they were given the land in question by Augustine Chaitezvi in 1986, which position was confirmed by the then chief Chinamhora on the 7th of April 1988,” argued the sect.
“The court a quo erred by confirming a finding by the magistrates court to the effect that the respondent (Gwindi) is the owner of the five pieces of land or contour ridges which is contradictory to another finding by the magistrates court that the land belong to Chaitezvi family.”
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According to the letter dated April 7, 1988, attached to the court documents signed by the ward council identified as Gahadza and headman Alfred Gwindi, the apostolic sect was confirmed to be the occupiers of the 2ha piece of land.
“We have agreed that these can worship here since the law doesn’t allow people to gather everywhere.
“They have agreed that they will use one place. We urge the parties to be peaceful since these are people who approached us with a request,” read the letter.
The matter was also brought before chief Chinamhora.
Domboshava has become a hunting ground for home-seekers following reports that traditional leaders are selling out prime land at cheap prices.
