A 62-year-old man, Lovejoy Nyamande, was recently arrested and charged for selling a residential stand using a fake title deed in Harare, Zimbabwe. Nyamande was apprehended on January 18 and is set to appear in court on February 2 for a ruling. The case was brought forward by property developer Tinashe Mukewo, who fell victim to Nyamande’s fraudulent scheme.

According to the allegations, Nyamande obtained fake title deeds and a fake national identity card in the name of Marlven Simbarashe Gono, the actual owner of the stand in question. He then approached the complainant, Mukewo, with an offer to sell stand number 635 in Good Hope Township for $50,000. Mukewo, who is involved in property development, enlisted the help of Embassy Real Estate Agents to view the stand. Satisfied with what they saw, Mukewo and Nyamande agreed to meet on January 17, 2023, at Embassy Real Estate Agents for payment and processing of the sale agreements.

However, upon producing the fake title deed and national identity card during the meeting, Mukewo was quick to suspect something was amiss. He took the documents to the Deeds Office for verification and was informed that the deed was indeed fake. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing housing crisis in Zimbabwe, where 42.7% of those surveyed in a recent national population and housing census have reported to have no place to call home.

The housing crisis in Zimbabwe has been linked to poor planning, greed, corruption, and politics. Local authorities have failed to adequately plan for the future, while the government has turned a blind eye to land barons linked to the ruling party who are responsible for the chaotic informal settlements in urban areas. The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) has warned that the situation is a serious indictment to a country hoping to attain upper-middle-income status by 2030.

This latest incident of fraud in the housing market highlights the need for stricter regulations and oversight to protect buyers and renters from fraudulent schemes. It also serves as a reminder of the urgent need for solutions to the housing crisis in Zimbabwe, which has been an ongoing problem for decades.

As a property developer and a potential home buyer, it is important to do your due diligence and verify all documents and title deeds before making any agreements or payments. It is also crucial to work with reputable real estate agents and to stay informed about the current state of the housing market.

In conclusion, the arrest of Lovejoy Nyamande for selling a fake residential stand using fake title deeds serves as a reminder of the ongoing housing crisis in Zimbabwe, and the urgent need for solutions to address the problem. It also serves as a warning for home buyers and renters to be vigilant and to verify all documents before making any agreements or payments.