Meet Simbarashe Mwanandimai, a 43-year-old director with a penchant for selling things he doesn’t own. In this case, it was a residential stand in Mandara, Harare, that he sold to Edwin Bako for a cool US$53,000 (plus penalties, because why not?).

The best part? Mwanandimai didn’t actually own the stand. He had an agreement with the real owner, Zenzo Lusengo, to buy it for US$60,000, but he only paid US$15,000 upfront. The rest was supposed to be paid in instalments, but let’s just say Mwanandimai’s payment plan was more like a pipe dream.

Despite not having legal ownership, Mwanandimai convinced Bako to part with US$60,000, claiming the stand was his to sell. Bako, being the trusting soul that he is, paid up and even did some renovations on the property. He cleared trees, drilled a borehole, and submitted building plans to the Harare City Council. Talk about commitment!

But then, reality hit. Mwanandimai failed to pay Lusengo the remaining balance, and the agreement was cancelled. Lusengo refunded Mwanandimai’s deposit and reclaimed ownership of the stand. Imagine Bako’s surprise when he showed up to find someone else living on the property, claiming to have bought it from Lusengo himself!

Bako’s out US$65,500, and Mwanandimai is facing fraud charges. The court granted him bail for US$100, because apparently, that’s the going rate for selling something you don’t own. He’s due back in court on June 24, where we’ll eagerly await the verdict. Will he learn his lesson, or will he continue to live life on the wrong side of the law?