Goromonzi North legislator and Crowhill Farm Properties
Director, Cde Ozius Bvute has lost a two-year legal battle against a land
developer, Florence Behane Pampukani, whom he had taken to court for
trespassing on a 845 hectare piece of land in Crowhill, Harare.
Harare magistrate, Masimba Chikodzore acquitted the 54 year
old land developer, when she appeared in court today.
The state led by Shepherd Makonde and through witnesses
from Cde Bvutes Crowhill Private Limited was alleging that Behane
Pambukani trespassed and cut trees on Cde Bvute’s land.
However, Behane Pambukani through Rejoice Murambasvina and
Ngoni Mupure trashed the evidence, arguing that it failed to link the accused
to the offence.
Behane Pambukani argued through her defence team that the
land in question was hers since 2002 when she evicted illegal settlers, took
occupation, constructed roads and installed electricity on the area.
She challenged the purported cancellation of her title
alleged by the state as dubious and unlawful as she never was part of High
Court and Supreme Court proceedings instituted by the complainant.
The magistrate found Behane pambukani not guilty and
accordingly acquitted her of all charges.
She ruled that the witnesses had failed to prove their case
beyond reasonable doubt and one could not trespass on ones own property.
The latest ruling comes when there are several other
pending matters relating to land ownership in Crowhill, while the Land
Commission is seized with inquiries into the acquisition of state land around
urban areas countrywide.
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