Woman jailed four years for fraud

A 46-year-old woman from Harare, Betty Makura, has been sentenced to four years in prison for defrauding a local company director of $40,000 in a fraudulent residential stands deal. The ruling was made by Harare magistrate Rufaro Panavanhu, who suspended one year of the sentence on the condition that Makura restitutes the full amount to the complainant.

The case, which has drawn significant attention, began in August 2019 when Makura placed an advertisement in the media claiming to sell residential stands in Greendale, Harare. The complainant, Matina Mafara, who was working in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the time, became interested in the offer and traveled to Zimbabwe to pursue the deal. He engaged the services of his agent, Revai Hamadziripi, to assist with the transaction.

In December 2019, Mafara met with Makura and handed over $40,000 for the purchase of a stand. However, the scheme unraveled in January 2020 when Hamadziripi was informed that the title deed provided by Makura was fraudulent, leading to the discovery of the scam.

Makura's sentencing serves as a warning to those involved in real estate transactions to conduct thorough due diligence to avoid falling victim to similar scams. As part of her sentence, Makura is required to repay the $40,000 to Mafara, a condition that underscores the legal system's focus on restitution for victims of fraud.