Granny swindles home seeker US$137,000

A 62-year-old Harare woman has appeared in court facing fraud charges after allegedly swindling a prospective home seeker out of US$137 000 in a botched property transaction.

Virginia Tambudzai Maida appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Donald Ndirowei, where she was charged with fraud. She was granted bail of US$1 000 and advised not to interfere with State witnesses, as well as to continue residing at her given address until the matter is finalised.

The case was remanded to February 6, 2026.

The complainant is The Mash Family Futures Trust, represented by Mr Tinashe Nigel Mashingaidze (32). The State is being represented by prosecutor Mr Oscar Madhume.

According to the State, on July 17, 2025, the complainant was seeking to purchase a residential property. Allegedly aware of the complainant's financial capacity, Maida approached them with an offer to sell a property located at Number 470A Marlborough Extension 3, Harare, held under Deed of Transfer 2259/99, for US$120 000, a price reportedly well below market value.

The following day, during a meeting held at the offices of the complainant's legal practitioners, Exactly Mangezi, Maida allegedly represented herself as the executrix dative of the late Steward Matsikira's estate (DRH 2312/02).

It is alleged that she falsely claimed to have obtained consent from the estate's beneficiaries to sell the property, despite not having formal authority from the Master of the High Court at the time.

Relying on these representations, the complainant proceeded with the transaction. The court heard that Maida later claimed she had obtained authority from the Master of the High Court on August 19, 2024, to sell the Marlborough property for US$120 000.

Based on this, the complainant allegedly paid the full purchase price in cash and received an affidavit and an acknowledgment of receipt from Maida.

However, the State alleges that the transfer process failed after beneficiaries of the estate filed formal complaints and instituted a High Court application (HCHF 4229/25) seeking to nullify the sale.

It is further alleged that Maida deliberately concealed the existence of the court case and a subsequent High Court ruling handed down on November 6, 2025, which officially nullified the sale. Instead, she allegedly continued to assure the complainant that the transfer process was progressing smoothly.

The complainant reportedly only discovered the alleged fraud through a third party on December 7, 2025. When confronted, Maida is said to have become evasive and was later found to have provided false residential addresses on official documents.

Investigations suggest that the accused used the complainant's funds to settle an unrelated debt.

Following a police report filed on January 11, 2026, Maida was arrested. The total value prejudiced amounts to US$137 400, inclusive of ancillary charges, and nothing has been recovered.