A family inheritance dispute in Harare has turned into a criminal case after a woman accused her mother of forging her late father’s will and fraudulently selling a property worth US$120,000.
Auxillia Muguto appeared before Harare magistrate Francis Mapfumo on charges of fraud and was remanded to 4 November 2025 for the commencement of her trial.
The complainant, Tafadzwa Muguto, claims her mother forged the signature of her late father, Kirisimusi Timothy Muguto, to alter his will and unlawfully seize property left to her and her siblings.
According to State prosecutor Heather Muwokoto, the alleged offence stems from events following Kirisimusi Muguto’s death on 7 February 2017.
Court documents show that in 2013, the late Muguto subdivided his 6,000-square-metre property at Lot 2 of 11 and 12 Powell Road, Parktown, Waterfalls, granting equal portions to his three children — Tafadzwa, Stanlous, and Kudzanai. Tafadzwa later developed her portion by building a six-roomed cottage.
When his will was read at the Master of the High Court’s Office, it confirmed that his estate included:
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A house in Seke left to his brother Finos Muguto
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Another in Chivhu given to his sister Phillipa Muguto
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The Parktown property equally shared among his three children
However, the court heard that on 24 August 2024, Tafadzwa received an eviction order from Realtor Ville Real Estate, which claimed ownership of the Parktown property after buying it from her mother.
Startled by the eviction, Tafadzwa obtained a copy of her father’s original will from the Master’s Office, only to find that a different version had been filed — one allegedly bearing a forged signature.
A forensic handwriting analysis later confirmed that the signature on the newly submitted will did not match her father’s authentic handwriting. The forged document had nonetheless been accepted by the Master’s Office, enabling Auxillia to sell the property.
Prosecutors allege that Tafadzwa lost US$120,000, the estimated value of the property, and that no recovery has been made to date.
Auxillia Muguto has denied the allegations. The matter will proceed to trial next month.
Source – Online
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