Zanu-PF MP loses 2-year land legal battle

Goromonzi North legislator and Crowhill Farm Properties Director, Ozius Bvute has lost a two-year legal battle against a land developer, Florence Behane Pampukani, whom he had taken to court for trespassing on a 845 hectare piece of land in Crowhill, Harare.

Harare magistrate, Masimba Chikodzore acquitted the 54-year-old land developer, when she appeared in court today.

The state led by Shepherd Makonde and through witnesses from Bvute's Crowhill Ffrm Private Limited was alleging that Behane Pambukani trespassed and cut trees on Bvute's land.

However, Behane Pambukani through Rejoice Murambasvina and Ngoni Mupure trashed the evidence, arguing that it failed to link the accused to the offence.

Behane Pambukani argued through her defence team that the land in question was hers since 2002 when she evicted illegal settlers, took occupation, constructed roads and installed electricity on the area.

She challenged the purported cancellation of her title alleged by the state as dubious and unlawful as she never was part of High Court and Supreme Court proceedings instituted by the complainant.

The magistrate found Behane Pambukani not guilty and accordingly acquitted her of all charges.

She ruled that the witnesses had failed to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt and one could not trespass on one's own property.

The latest ruling comes when there are several other pending matters relating to land ownership in Crowhill, while the Land Commission is seized with inquiries into the acquisition of state land around urban areas countrywide.