Bad debtor sells friend's house without consent

WOMAN with a string of debts resolved to sell her friend's house WITHOUT consent. Like the character of Unoka in Chinua Achebe's novel Things Fall Apart, things fell apart for the suspected con artist Chipo Gudza when she had a brush with the police after a botched attempt to sell her friend Loice Dube's house without the latter's consent.

Loice is based in South Africa. Chipo had been entrusted with the safekeeping of Loice's house and title deeds before she decided to sell the house not ONCE but TWICE, to two different people. The house in question is No. 5712 in Kuwadzana 7. Chipo's unorthodox 'rob Peter to pay Paul' plan was foiled and she was arrested.

In her defence, Chipo is said to have told Loice's children that she had NO option but to sell the house to settle her debts. "Chipo had a lot of debts and she was desperate and decided to sell the house, at least she did not kill herself like that businessman I read about in the paper last week," narrated a neighbour. Loice's visibly angry children yesterday detained one of the prospective buyers Loveness Mapfumo at their homestead, disrupting the whole transaction.

When H-Metro arrived at the disputed estate, residents were baying for Chipo's blood calling her all sorts of names. "That woman is heartless and a thief as she sold her friend's house for her own gains. We became suspicious after some guys came yesterday claiming that they had been referred here by an estate agent. "Loice's son is still young and we decided to stand by him because that woman is so cruel and cunning.

"The buyers were calling some people we suspect are police officers whom we suspect to have been bribed to take over the house. "If that comes out to be true, we will set that house on fire," said one neighbour. Chipo confirmed that she sold Loice's eight-roomed house to settle her debt.

"I was tempted to sell the house to Mai Mapfumo and that other lady that I do not know after I encountered some financial problems. She took the title deeds on June 15 and I owed her some money and I did not expect the residents to react that way.

"My husband was not aware of the deal because I wanted to buy something. Even my children didn't know anything. "Loice is in South Africa and I WAS going to let her know of this when she comes back. "There is no big deal, come tomorrow you will find me here," said Chipo confidently.

Loveness begged H-Metro not to publish the story claiming that she was supposed to be at work at the time the drama unfolded. "Please do not publish my name because I am supposed to be at work right now and I won't release the title deeds before Chipo refunds my money. "Chipo secured a loan from us using her neighbour's title deeds as surety but we never recovered the money.

"We will never give them the title deeds. After all, the owner of the house is outside the country," said Loveness. So as it stands, Loveness is the rightful owner of house No. 5712 in Kuwadzana 7 as the holder of the title deeds. She has paid US$10 000 and will fully own the house when she pays the remainder of US$15 000.

H-Metro tracked Loveness, Chipo and an unidentified lady to Kuwadzana police station where they were questioned before being released. This paper could not however establish what was agreed although grapevine said they were instructed to bring title deeds. Loice's son, Oscar Musana, 20, followed all the proceedings.