Rena Kunonga Sambaza, a big cheese at FBC Bank, is in a bit of a pickle. She’s being sued by Afrolink Sports Management over a dodgy land deal that makes you wonder if someone slipped her a whoopee cushion.
It all started when Sambaza traded a 756-square-meter stand in Strathaven for a whopping 1,800-square-meter stand in The Grange, with a sweetener of US$34,000. Sounds like a good deal, right? Wrong! Afrolink claims Sambaza got the Strathaven stand through shady means and is now trying to swap it for a stand with a clean title.
Here’s the kicker: Sambaza allegedly bought the same property twice – once from the City of Harare in 2017 for US$8,690 and again from someone named Simango Thabitha in 2018 for US$25,000, partly with a shiny Toyota Fortuner. That’s like buying the same burger twice and expecting two beef patties!
Afrolink’s investigation uncovered some juicy details, including a pending criminal case (CR 122/7/20) that mentions the Strathaven stand. It seems Sambaza’s witness statement contradicts other official documents, making it look like she’s trying to pull a fast one.
Afrolink wants the land exchange agreement canceled, the Grange stand returned, and US$10,000 in construction costs reimbursed. They also want Sambaza and anyone else occupying the Grange property to pack their bags.
As the legal battle rages on, Sambaza remains mum on the allegations. Meanwhile, this case highlights the challenges facing investors in Zimbabwe’s property sector and the importance of doing your due diligence – or risk getting burned by a dodgy land deal!
