Harare Man Arrested Over Fake City Stands Scam That Fleeced Home Seekers Of US$4,580
The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) has arrested a Harare man accused of running a fraudulent residential stands scheme in which unsuspecting home seekers lost thousands of United States dollars.
In a statement released on Monday, ZACC said Gerald Mangwiro is facing three counts of fraud and two counts of forgery after pretending to represent the City of Harare and using fake Council documents to convince victims that he could secure residential stands for them.
Investigators revealed that the scam spanned nearly three years, from August 2023 to July 2026, leaving victims with losses amounting to US$4,580.
Also Read: Two More People Arrested Over Illegal Belvedere Stands Scam
Victim duped into making multiple payments
According to ZACC, Mangwiro approached Rongedzai Kutsapede claiming he could facilitate the purchase of a residential stand from the City of Harare.
The commission said he allegedly produced counterfeit layout plans and offer letters before instructing Kutsapede to deposit US$2,370 into a personal bank account that he falsely claimed belonged to the local authority.
ZACC further states that between May and July this year, Mangwiro targeted the same complainant again, convincing him to pay an additional US$1,130 for another residential stand despite having no authority to allocate Council land.
The accused told the complainant the money was needed for group contributions, City of Harare waiting list charges and interview fees.
Second home seeker also allegedly targeted
The commission said Mangwiro is also accused of defrauding another prospective homeowner, Kingstone Reza, of US$1,080 after allegedly promising to secure a legitimate Council stand.
He demanded payment for the stand as well as interview fees before failing to deliver on the promise.
To make the transactions appear genuine, ZACC said Mangwiro allegedly created forged City of Harare offer letters for both complainants.
The documents were allegedly printed on Council letterheads, carried the purported signature of the Director of Housing and Community Services and were stamped with fake City of Harare date stamps to give the impression they were authentic.
Court grants bail
Mangwiro has appeared before the Harare Magistrates’ Court, where he was granted US$200 bail.
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