Caretaker takes over the employer's rural home

A Marondera-based man has lost control of his rural homestead after a caretaker he once trusted allegedly refused to vacate the property and locked him out following dismissal.

Samuel Nyambudzi has taken his former house help, Shelton Toro, to Chief Mutasa's community court in a bid to regain access to his home.

Nyambudzi says he had employed Toro as a caretaker and allowed him to stay at the property rent-free in exchange for maintaining and securing the homestead.

However, the relationship reportedly deteriorated after Toro was dismissed from his duties. Instead of leaving the premises, he allegedly remained at the property and began acting as though he were the rightful owner.

Nyambudzi told the community court that Toro went further by locking him out of the homestead, effectively denying him access to his own property.

The matter is now before Chief Mutasa's community court, where Nyambudzi is seeking intervention to restore his occupation of the rural home and resolve the ownership dispute.

The case highlights growing tensions in informal caretaker arrangements, where property owners sometimes grant long-term residence rights in exchange for security and maintenance services, only for disputes to arise when employment relationships end.