MDC-T leader Douglas Mwonzora and senior party member Tapiwa Mashakada have been brought before the Harare Magistrates Court, facing fraud allegations involving US$22,000 related to a lease agreement for a commercial property in Belvedere, Harare.
The fraud complaint was lodged by Denmark Training Services, represented in court by Dennis Shoko. The MDC party itself is named as the first accused, represented by Chengetai Guta, while Mwonzora and Mashakada are listed as the second and third accused, respectively.
According to the prosecution, in September 2023, Denmark Training Services approached MDC officials expressing interest in renting a commercial stand in Belvedere. Mashakada allegedly told the company that the stand was owned by the party and went on to obtain authorization from Mwonzora to proceed with the lease.
An agreement was subsequently signed, and the complainant paid US$22,000 in rent. However, when representatives from Denmark Training Services visited the site to begin development, they discovered the property was already occupied.
Upon raising the issue with the MDC officials, the complainant was told they could take possession of the stand on May 1, 2024—several months after the lease was supposed to commence on October 1, 2023. But on the new date, the property was still not vacant.
Prosecutors allege that the accused knowingly accepted rental payments despite being aware that the property was already leased to another party. When the complainant confronted them again, he was informed that the agreement had been terminated and advised to seek a refund, prompting him to file a police report.
Investigations later revealed that the lease agreement between the City of Harare and the MDC-T had been officially cancelled on August 20, 2023—prior to the lease deal signed with Denmark Training Services. The City of Harare confirmed that it remains the legal owner of the land, and no other party, including MDC-T, has legal rights to the property.
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