Late businesswoman's family pushed for top lawyer's arrest

The family of the late businesswoman Jane Maisiri is calling for the arrest of prominent lawyer Wilson Manase, accusing him of mismanaging her estate since her death in 2002. Manase, appointed as the executor of Maisiri's estate, allegedly abused his position by selling and renting out properties without consulting the family or remitting the funds to the rightful beneficiaries. He also failed to account for the funds in Maisiri's offshore accounts, leading to suspicions of financial misappropriation.

Tongai Mhlanga, Maisiri's son, filed formal complaints against Manase with the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ), the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC). Mhlanga claims that Manase has not properly managed the estate, pointing to missing funds and properties that were never transferred to the beneficiaries. On August 16, the police's Commercial Crime Division briefly detained Manase for questioning but released him after requesting additional documents for further investigation.

Before his police questioning, the LSZ had issued a 14-day ultimatum to Manase to explain why the estate had not been finalized. This was prompted by a letter from the Master of the High Court, who expressed concern that Manase had failed to deal with the immovable properties listed in the estate's inventory. Additionally, the Master's office noted that it had not received proof of transfer of assets or clearances from beneficiaries, preventing the closure of the estate.

In his defense, Manase claimed in an August 8 response to the LSZ that he had already finalized the estate, as evidenced by the liquidation and distribution accounts. He argued that the beneficiaries had taken possession of their properties and that only the transfer of titles remained. However, Tongai Mhlanga contested this, stating that he had not yet accessed his property at 299 Samora Machel Avenue, which is currently occupied by Manase's son, Charemedza.

The Maisiri family also raised concerns about another property in Marondera that was incorrectly recorded on the inventory. This error allegedly led to the property being excluded from the estate's distribution. Despite Manase's claims, the family insists they provided all necessary documents, including details of Maisiri's foreign bank accounts, which Manase has yet to account for.

Further complicating the situation, Maisiri's family claims that US$423 million in local bank accounts at Barclays and Stanbic remains unaccounted for. Manase had previously asserted that he distributed $18,000 to Frank Maisiri in 2010, but he failed to provide supporting documents. Additionally, one of the beneficiaries listed, Aaron Golden Shamu, reportedly purchased a property from the estate, but this sale occurred nine years after Maisiri's death, raising questions about the handling of the transaction.

The family's frustrations have been compounded by the fact that some beneficiaries have yet to receive title deeds to their properties 22 years after their mother's death. Manase admitted to this issue in his correspondence with the LSZ, acknowledging the delays in transferring ownership, which has further fueled the family's push for accountability and legal action against him.