A Chimanimani couple living in the diaspora lost the house they had built after buying and constructing on disputed land.
Manica Post reported that Godwin Gudu and his wife bought the land from Luke Chikukwa for US$900 in Maunzani Village. They used US$10,000 to build a three-bedroom house and installed tapped water, a flushing toilet system, a fence and a borehole.
However, Richard Chikomba and Luke Chikukwa disputed ownership of the land. Chikomba claimed the land belonged to his late mother, Rose Chikukwa, and appealed a ruling favouring Gudu and Chikukwa.
Mutare magistrate Purity Gumbo ruled that Gudu’s family must vacate the premises and pay US$50 monthly holding damages until they leave. Magistrate Gumbo ordered the damages to be paid to the rightful owner, Richard Chikomba.
In response to the court’s decision, the Gudus camped outside Chikukwa’s homestead, demanding alternative accommodation.
Gudu expressed his frustration, stating that he had invested his savings into building the house, intending to relocate his family from South Africa to Zimbabwe.
The legal battle ensued after Chikomba appealed against Acting Chief Mutambara’s ruling, which initially favoured the Gudus and Chikukwa.
Manica Post reports that Chikomba’s mother was married to Chikukwa’s uncle. After they d!ed, Chikomba’s late mother’s half-sister, Rose Chikukwa, inherited the land. When Rose passed on, a fight blew up between Richard Chikomba and Luke Chikukwa.
Acting Chief Mutambara ruled in favour of Chikukwa, citing his relation to the late Rose, but Chikomba contested the decision. The Chief, however, shared the land between the two. Chikomba argued that the land rightfully belonged to his late mother, leading to a legal battle that resulted in the Gudus losing their property.
Chikomba’s lawyer emphasized that Chikukwa and Gudu lacked knowledge of the land’s history and disputed the Chief’s authority to subdivide the land. Despite familial ties, Chikukwa’s inheritance claims were deemed invalid in the presence of Chikomba’s surviving relatives.
Source iharare
