Published: 20 hours ago

A senior official at FBC Bank, Rena Kunonga Sambaza, is currently embroiled in a legal dispute involving allegations of fraud related to the acquisition and subsequent exchange of a residential stand in Harare's upscale Strathaven suburb.

Afrolink Sports Management has filed a lawsuit against Sambaza seeking to nullify a contentious land exchange agreement. The deal involved Stand No 1081 in Strathaven, which measures 756 square metres, and Stand No 710/14 in The Grange, measuring 1,800 square metres. The agreement also included a top-up payment of US$34,000. Afrolink alleges that Sambaza conspired with City of Harare officials to fraudulently obtain the Strathaven property before exchanging it for the larger Grange stand.

According to court documents prepared by lawyer Harrison Nkomo of Mhishi, Nkomo Legal Practitioners, Afrolink had secured financing to develop the Strathaven stand and had made significant improvements at the Grange property, including erecting a perimeter wall and drilling a borehole. However, in November 2022, the company was warned by unidentified individuals that the Strathaven stand was subject to dispute.

Sambaza assured Afrolink that her acquisition of the property was legitimate, but further investigations uncovered contradictory evidence and a pending criminal case involving City of Harare officials accused of fraudulent land sales. The case, referenced as CR 122/7/20, includes allegations concerning the Strathaven stand at the centre of this dispute.

Afrolink's inquiry revealed that Sambaza appeared to have purchased the same property twice: first from the City of Harare in 2017 for US$8,690, and then in 2018 from an individual named Simango Thabitha for US$25,000, paying in part with a Toyota Fortuner. The company contends that such double acquisition is legally impossible and indicative of fraudulent conduct.

Furthermore, the witness statement Sambaza provided in connection with the criminal case contradicts other official documents about how she acquired the property. Afrolink claims that despite being aware of these irregularities, Sambaza proceeded with the land exchange without disclosing the critical information, thereby attempting to defraud the company by swapping a fraudulently obtained stand for a clean title property.

Afrolink is demanding the cancellation of the exchange agreement, the return of the Grange stand, reimbursement of US$10,000 spent on construction at the Strathaven stand, and eviction of Sambaza and any occupants from the Grange property.

This case has brought attention to issues of corruption and fraudulent practices involving municipal land allocations and the real estate market in Harare's prime suburbs. It implicates prominent individuals and city officials and highlights the challenges facing investors in Zimbabwe's property sector.

Sambaza has yet to make a public comment on the allegations as the legal proceedings continue.
- Newsday

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