Provincial Registrar Munamati trial kicks off

Date:

MARTIN MULEYA

The trial of Manicaland Provincial Registrar, Joyce Munamati kicked off on Wednesday at the Mutare Magistrate Court.

Munamati (58) who appeared before Regional Magistrate, Siphatekile Msipa is being charged with fraud as defined in Section 136 of the Criminal Law (Codification Reform) Act and was represented by Passmore Nyakureba of Maanda and Maunga Legal Practitioners.

Munamati pleaded not guilty to allegations of having sold a 56-hectare plot, Subdivision 22 of Wallacedale in Odzi to Calvin Ziki for US$15 000, after misrepresenting to him that she owns the said property yet it was State land.

It was the State’s case led by Loice Muuya that on the 6th of September 2002, Munamati was offered 22 Wallacedale, Farm, Mutare, measuring approximately 32.50 hectares by the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Climate and Rural Resettlement for agricultural purposes under land reform and resettlement programme (Phase 2 Model A2 scheme).

The offer letter had a condition that Munamati should not cede, assign or make over any right or obligation or sublet or part with possession or grant any form of occupation of the farm without consent from the Minister.

“Sometime in April 2023, the accused person made a misrepresentation to Calvin Ziki that she was the owner of Subdivision 22 of Wallacedale farm measuring 56 hectares, for which she had title deeds and was offering it for sale for US$20 000.

“As a result of the misrepresentation, Munamati entered into an agreement of sale of the land with Ziki on 17 April 2023, whereby she sold the land for US$15 000. She was paid US$11 000 through Agnes Chinembiri. The balance of US$4 000 was paid on 8th June 2023, upon which Munamati signed an acknowledgement of the sale,” said Muuya who stood in for the state.

Munamati through her lawyer argued that she was a victim of gender abuse and that she never sold any piece of land to Ziki.

The State then led its evidence through Ziki who told the court that he indeed was sold the land by Munamati in April 2023 after having been informed by Agnes Chinembiri that her friend was selling a piece of land for agricultural purposes.

Ziki attested under oath that he was surprised that after completing payment of the land in June 2023, Munamati had to change goalposts three months later insisting that she could not give her title deeds of a State land.

“Following this ordeal, I was served with eviction notice through Mutare High Court in October 2023. I defended it through my lawyer and after a week I was served with an interdict yet I had already made developments at the farm to the tune of US$25 000,” Ziki told the court.

Munamati who is currently on bail will be back in the dock on April 3, 2023 where the State intends to call two more witnesses.

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