Evicted By Her Own Blood: Mother Takes Legal Action To Reclaim Home

A Bulawayo woman has accused her daughter of fraudulently seizing her Entumbane home and evicting her, in a case that has exposed deep family betrayal and sparked concern over elder abuse.

The dispute, which dates back to 2015, centers on claims of deception, forged documents, and manipulation of a vulnerable parent.

According to court documents, Ms Siphiwe Moyo purchased stand number 30099/30 from the Bulawayo City Council on 29 January 1998.

The agreement granted her personal rights to the property.

While living at her rural home in Mberengwa, Ms Moyo was allegedly misled by her daughter, Floid Ngwenya, who claimed the house was at risk of being stolen and urged her to sign documents to “protect” it.

Fearing for her property, Ms Moyo travelled to Bulawayo and was taken to the Entumbane Housing Office, where she was allegedly coerced into signing a letter cancelling her original sale agreement with the municipality.

“The plaintiff was forced to sign a letter cancelling the memorandum of sale between her and the municipality of Bulawayo on the 2nd April 2015,” read the court papers.

The Town Clerk later signed the cancellation letter on 13 May 2015, a delay that raised questions about the document’s authenticity.

Ms Moyo told the court she was not informed of the nature of the documents and was simply instructed to place her thumbprint.

The records further stated, “A letter was handwritten and was submitted by the defendant on the 12th of March 2015 and it was purported to have been written by the plaintiff.”

However, Ms Moyo denied authoring the letter and said she was unaware of its existence.

Ngwenya has since claimed ownership of the property and attempted to evict her mother.

In response, Ms Moyo sought legal redress. As reported by Chronicle, the court granted her a rei vindication order—a legal remedy that allows a rightful owner to reclaim property from unlawful possession.

The court also ordered Ngwenya to cede and transfer ownership of the house back to Ms Moyo within seven days of receiving the judgment, which was handed down last Friday.

This case highlights the vulnerability of elderly citizens to exploitation and underscores the importance of legal safeguards in property transactions, especially within family structures where trust can be easily abused.