HARARE – Mavis Java Madzivanzira, sister to controversial preacher Passion Java, has been convicted on nine counts of fraud involving nearly US$120,000 and now faces a possible custodial sentence.
The conviction, handed down by regional magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka, follows a full trial in which Madzivanzira and her accomplice Pauline Gutsa were found guilty of duping home seekers through the sale of non-existent residential stands. Sentencing is expected after a pre-sentence hearing.
Prosecutor Oscar Madhume told the court that the pair, acting as co-directors of Segimel Investments, misrepresented that they were selling stands in upmarket areas including Milton Park, Vainona, Logan Park and Gunhill. They allegedly used fake City of Harare subdivision plans to lure buyers.
Victims, including Farai Chikiwa, Naledi Maunganidze and Fortune Rukara, paid substantial deposits into a lawyer’s trust account, believing the transactions were legitimate. However, verification with the City of Harare later revealed that the stands did not exist in official records.
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In one instance, Chikiwa lost over US$97,000 after paying for multiple stands that were never delivered. Rukara also lost US$20,000 in a separate deal involving a supposed Greendale property, which authorities confirmed was not designated for residential use.
The court heard that the accused withdrew the funds and failed to deliver offer letters or title documentation as promised. A third accused, lawyer Proud Mutuso, was acquitted after it emerged he was out of the country when the offences were committed.
Madzivanzira has been in remand prison during the final stages of the trial after missing court appearances.
The case has sparked public debate, with some linking it to Passion Java’s controversial declaration of 2026 as “Gore Rekungangurwa”, a year of arrests, though he has distanced himself from the matter.
Madzivanzira’s latest conviction also comes against the backdrop of previous fraud allegations, raising fresh questions about a pattern of conduct. In a separate 2025 case, she appeared before the Harare Magistrates Court facing fresh charges involving US$75,000. Prosecutors alleged that she and an accomplice used fraudulent documents purporting to be from the City of Harare to sell a non-existent stand in Quinnington Township. The complainant later discovered the property was privately owned, prompting a police report and her arrest. She was subsequently released on bail pending trial.
Legal experts say the conviction reinforces the courts’ stance against property fraud, a growing concern in Zimbabwe’s urban land market.
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