News / Local
Tenant sells landlord's house without his knowledge
17 Sep 2013 at 01:10hrs | Views
A Bulawayo woman was lucky to escape jail when she was sentenced to a suspended six years in prison for selling her landlord's house without his knowledge.
The owner of the house Number 20969 Pumula South, Mr Makhosini Sibanda is based in the United Kingdom.
Precious Memory Sibanda (28), was convicted on her own plea of guilty of fraud when she appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Colette Ncube.
She sold the house where she is a tenant, to Mr Khalaliwe Ngwenya for $18 000 and was paid $17 500.
Two years of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour while the remaining four years were suspended on condition that she restitutes $17 500 to the complainant Mr Ngwenya at the end of next month.
Sentencing Sibanda, the magistrate said he considered that she had pleaded guilty to the charge and shown some contrition as she offered to restitute the complainant.
However, Mr Ncube said in aggravation, Sibanda duped Mr Ngwenya into believing that the house was hers thereby prejudicing him of his money.
Sibanda started renting the house in April this year and placed an advert in the Press in July purporting that the house was hers and it was being sold.
Mr Ngwenya responded to the advert and they agreed on a price of $18 000 after viewing the property.
Mr Ngwenya requested to see the Title Deeds and other documents for the house and Sibanda took him to the Bulawayo City Council offices where an official confirmed that the house belonged to M Sibanda.
Sibanda told Mr Ngwenya that she was the M Sibanda referred to in the council records, adding that M represented her second name Memory.
The two drew an agreement of sale whereupon Sibanda was paid the $17 500.
The remaining $500 was to be paid once she released the Title Deeds on Tuesday last week.
Mr Ngwenya reported the matter to the police when he requested the Title Deeds and Sibanda started dodging, saying the documents were in the custody of her mother.
Mr Robin Mukura appeared for the State.
The owner of the house Number 20969 Pumula South, Mr Makhosini Sibanda is based in the United Kingdom.
Precious Memory Sibanda (28), was convicted on her own plea of guilty of fraud when she appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Colette Ncube.
She sold the house where she is a tenant, to Mr Khalaliwe Ngwenya for $18 000 and was paid $17 500.
Two years of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour while the remaining four years were suspended on condition that she restitutes $17 500 to the complainant Mr Ngwenya at the end of next month.
Sentencing Sibanda, the magistrate said he considered that she had pleaded guilty to the charge and shown some contrition as she offered to restitute the complainant.
However, Mr Ncube said in aggravation, Sibanda duped Mr Ngwenya into believing that the house was hers thereby prejudicing him of his money.
Mr Ngwenya responded to the advert and they agreed on a price of $18 000 after viewing the property.
Mr Ngwenya requested to see the Title Deeds and other documents for the house and Sibanda took him to the Bulawayo City Council offices where an official confirmed that the house belonged to M Sibanda.
Sibanda told Mr Ngwenya that she was the M Sibanda referred to in the council records, adding that M represented her second name Memory.
The two drew an agreement of sale whereupon Sibanda was paid the $17 500.
The remaining $500 was to be paid once she released the Title Deeds on Tuesday last week.
Mr Ngwenya reported the matter to the police when he requested the Title Deeds and Sibanda started dodging, saying the documents were in the custody of her mother.
Mr Robin Mukura appeared for the State.
Source - newsbite.it
