News / National
Mum (63) sleeps in the open for 10 months, evicted from own house by daughter
06 Feb 2014 at 08:53hrs | Views
HARARE - A 63-year-old Harare woman from Highfield has been sleeping in the open for the past 10 months after being evicted from her house by her daughter, ZBC reported.
Christina was evicted from her house in March last year by her only daughter Elizabeth Arthur, with the assistance of Jonah Maraire, a former treasurer of the Highfield Housing Co-operative.
She has been sleeping in the open since then while her belongings covered by plastic bags are next to the house.
The house, located at Number 9083 Paradise, was built in the 90's after Ms Chakuposhiwa joined the co-operative in 1989 when her daughter was only 18 years old.
Paradise residents and pioneering members of the housing co-operative who are against the eviction of Ms Chakuposhiwa said she was one of the first 200 members and expressed surprise how her daughter became the home owner.
Ms Chakuposhiwa told the ZBC News that trouble began around 2001 when her daughter began disrespecting her.
Ms Chakuposhiwa then sought the intervention of Jonah Maraire, the then treasurer of Highfield Housing Co-operative, who later allegedly connived with her daughter to have her evicted from the house.
"When I approached him for assistance he began proposing love to me, which I refused. He then fell in love with my daughter and that is how they connived to dispossess me of the house.
"We went to the civil court and to the High Court, but for some reason we did not get the judgment," she said.
The ZBC News crew was shown documents that indicate that Chakuposhiwa is a bona fide rate payer and affidavits used to contest her ownership of the house in the courts.
The Highfield West Zanu PF shadow MP, Emmanuel Juta said Chakuposhiwa had been treated unfairly as a result of misrepresentations by her daughter with the assistance of Maraire.
"Clearly there has been unfairness on the part of the old woman," he said.
Efforts to contact Chakuposhiwa's daughter were fruitless as she was said to have gone to her rural area.
Ms Chakuposhiwa's case is not isolated as reports of pensioners, women and children being duped of their houses and other properties have been on the increase.
Many victims however have no access to legal channels to seek redress.
Christina was evicted from her house in March last year by her only daughter Elizabeth Arthur, with the assistance of Jonah Maraire, a former treasurer of the Highfield Housing Co-operative.
She has been sleeping in the open since then while her belongings covered by plastic bags are next to the house.
The house, located at Number 9083 Paradise, was built in the 90's after Ms Chakuposhiwa joined the co-operative in 1989 when her daughter was only 18 years old.
Paradise residents and pioneering members of the housing co-operative who are against the eviction of Ms Chakuposhiwa said she was one of the first 200 members and expressed surprise how her daughter became the home owner.
Ms Chakuposhiwa told the ZBC News that trouble began around 2001 when her daughter began disrespecting her.
Ms Chakuposhiwa then sought the intervention of Jonah Maraire, the then treasurer of Highfield Housing Co-operative, who later allegedly connived with her daughter to have her evicted from the house.
"We went to the civil court and to the High Court, but for some reason we did not get the judgment," she said.
The ZBC News crew was shown documents that indicate that Chakuposhiwa is a bona fide rate payer and affidavits used to contest her ownership of the house in the courts.
The Highfield West Zanu PF shadow MP, Emmanuel Juta said Chakuposhiwa had been treated unfairly as a result of misrepresentations by her daughter with the assistance of Maraire.
"Clearly there has been unfairness on the part of the old woman," he said.
Efforts to contact Chakuposhiwa's daughter were fruitless as she was said to have gone to her rural area.
Ms Chakuposhiwa's case is not isolated as reports of pensioners, women and children being duped of their houses and other properties have been on the increase.
Many victims however have no access to legal channels to seek redress.
Source - zbc
