Source: Suspected land baron in US$250k scam -Newsday Zimbabwe
A SUSPECTED land baron has appeared in court facing a fraud charge after allegedly duping hundreds of aspiring home-owners out of US$250 000 in a bogus residential stand scheme.
Gertrude Bariri was arrested and appeared before Harare regional magistrate Musaiona Shortgame, who granted her US$1 000 bail.
The complainant is Enhanced Mortgaging and Housing (Private) Limited, represented by Demetria Zirenga.
According to the State, between January 2024 and August 2025, Zirenga and her late husband, Harrison Marange, who was the company’s first director, were largely absent from the business due to Marange’s illness.
Prosecutors allege that Bariri, acting in connivance with Revino Gwanzura, who is already on remand in connection with the matter, took advantage of the directors’ absence to execute a fraudulent scheme.
The court heard that the pair allegedly advertised that Enhanced Mortgaging and Housing had acquired residential stands in partnership with Bariri, despite knowing that no such stands existed.
It is alleged that prospective home-seekers responded to the advertisement and were falsely informed that the company was working with Bariri on the housing project.
As a result of the alleged misrepresentation, about 250 victims were instructed to pay US$250 each as allocation fees. After paying, the victims were allegedly issued with stand numbers and shown undeveloped land purported to be the residential stands.
The alleged fraud came to light after Zirenga resumed work in March 2025 and was approached by numerous home-seekers demanding to be allocated residential stands.
Investigations reportedly revealed that the victims were in possession of receipts that were not issued by Enhanced Mortgaging and Housing but were instead issued by Bariri’s company, Fanyakazi.
The complainant conducted an internal audit using receipts collected from the victims, which allegedly revealed that Bariri prejudiced the company and home-seekers of approximately US$250 000.
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