Grace Mugabe demands prime land 'gift'

Former First Lady Mrs Grace Mugabe has approached the High Court seeking to compel a local company to hand over to her a "donation" of five hectares of prime land worth millions of dollars in Borrowdale, Harare.

Mrs Mugabe claims Arosume Property Development (Private) Limited "freely" donated to her two stands measuring 2,6676 ha and 2,3311 ha but refused to transfer ownership into her name.

She claims the donation was made in 2011 while her husband and former President of Zimbabwe Mr Robert Gabriel Mugabe was still in power.

Apparently, the company is denying ever donating the land to Mrs Mugabe.

Seven years after the said donation, Mrs Mugabe, through Chivore Dzingirai Group of Lawyers, this week filed summons against Arosume.

Mrs Mugabe is seeking an order compelling Arosume and the Registrar of Deeds to transfer stand numbers 312 and 313 Carrick Creagh Township, Borrowdale, into her name.

Arosume and the Registrar of Deeds were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

Part of the plaintiff's declaration reads:

"Sometime on or about August 2011, the first defendant donated inter Vivos (a gift made by one living person to another) to plaintiff, certain immovable properties namely, Stand Number 312 Carrick Creagh Township of Carrick Creagh of Section 4 of Borrowdale Estate measuring 2,3311 hectares held under deed of transfer 359/09 in favour of the first defendant and certain piece of land situate in the district of Salisbury called Stand 313 Carrick Creagh Township of Carrick Creagh of Section 4 of Borrowdale Estate measuring 2,6676 hectares held under deed of transfer 3012/08 in favour of the first defendant."

Mrs Mugabe said she accepted the donation and received deeds of transfer in respect of the two properties.

The dispute arose when the company refused to effect transfer of ownership of the properties to the beneficiary of the said donation.

"Sometime in 2018 the plaintiff requested the first defendant to cause transfer or registration of the donated stands into her name and the defendant refused to do so.

"First defendant does not have any basis for refusing to cause the registration of the immovable property it donated to the plaintiff," reads the declaration.

Mrs Mugabe argued that she was entitled to the "gift" and that the company should be ordered to effect the transfer.

She also wants the company to be slapped with an order for costs of suit.

"Plaintiff has been unnecessarily put out of pocket, in instituting these proceedings to compel the first defendant to transfer the immovable properties following the donation of the said properties to the plaintiff."