Zimbabwe’s ex-first lady Grace Mugabe has reportedly filed a court application to “force” a local company to hand over at least five hectares of “prime land” it donated to her in 2011.
According to the state-owned Herald newspaper, through her lawyers, Grace petitioned the court to force the company to stick to its promise, saying the company donated the land voluntarily during her husband Robert Mugabe’s reign.
Arosume Property Development (Private) limited, however, refuted claims that it donated “freely” at least two stands of arable land measuring 2 6674 and 2 3311 hectares to Grace.
But an adamant Grace through her lawyers, Chivore Dzingirai group, demanded the registration of deeds to transfer stands 312 and 313 in Carrick Creagh Township, Borrowdale into her name.
The former first lady maintained that Arosume Property Development had no grounds to refuse the transfer as she was entitled to the “gift”.
“Sometime in 2018 the plaintiff requested the first defendant to cause transfer or registration of the donated stands into her name and the defendant refused to do so. First defendant does not have any basis for refusing to cause the registration of the immovable property it donated to the plaintiff,” parts of the declaration reportedly read.
This came months after a top school in the southern African country tried to reclaim prime land allegedly seized from it by the former first lady.
The 23-hectare plot of land was in the heart of Harare’s plush northern Borrowdale suburb, just a few kilometres from the former first family’s private mansion.
According to NewsDay, Grace took over the land some years ago with the help of former local government minister, Ignatius Chombo, without the knowledge of the school.
“Eaglesvale Senior School has now renewed its fight for the large piece of land donated to it by RCZ (Reformed Church of Zimbabwe) close to 40 years ago and registered under the Eaglesvale Daisyfield Trust (EDT),” the report said.
Reports indicated that Mugabe’s family and close relatives owned close to 16 000 hectares of land between them.
Source:www.news24.com