Family homeless after sibling sells home

A family in Mbare, Harare, has been left homeless after their house at 57 Sanyanga Street, near Stodart Hall, was sold by one of the children without the knowledge or consent of the other family members.

The house, long associated with the Guswaguswa Zvomuya family, has sparked outrage in the community after the eviction. Alice Guswaguswa Zvomuya, 58, one of the family members, told reporters that they were forced out on 24 December last year after being informed that the property no longer belonged to them.

"Our father, Fidelis Zvomuya Guswaguswa, originally came from Seke, and our late mother, Theresa Tigere, left us seven children. At the time, three of us were living in this house, while the others had moved to their own homes. Suddenly, one of our brothers sold the house without our knowledge, and even forged the names of the rest of us," Mai Guswaguswa Zvomuya said.

She explained that only two daughters and one son were living in the home when the eviction occurred. "All of us were removed, and now the house is empty. We are left to survive on the streets and with relatives and friends. We regret that our parents are not alive to see how everything has turned out," she added.

The family highlighted the wider consequences of the eviction, particularly on children who now face disruptions to their schooling due to the sudden relocation. "Some of our children and grandchildren will struggle to attend school because they have had to move to different places," Mai Guswaguswa Zvomuya said.

The family is appealing for assistance to regain the property so it can benefit all the children rather than being controlled by just one sibling. Attempts to reach the son who sold the house were unsuccessful, as his mobile phone was unreachable at the time of publication.