High Court Rules in Favour of Title Deed Holder in Bulawayo Double-Sale Dispute, Orders Eviction of First Buyer
High Court Rules in Favour of Title Deed Holder in Bulawayo Double-Sale Dispute, Orders Eviction of First Buyer – The High Court of Zimbabwe has ruled in favour of a Bulawayo couple in a long-standing property dispute, ordering the eviction of a woman who built a house on a residential stand that was sold to two different buyers nearly two decades apart.
Justice Evangelista Kabasa issued the ruling, declaring David and Dadirai Shoko as the rightful owners of Lot 2 of Lot 42 North Trenance, after purchasing the stand in 2013 for US$13,000 and subsequently obtaining a title deed in 2022.
The case involved competing ownership claims between the Shokos and Blessing Matsvimbo, who asserted that she had purchased the same property in 2006 for ZW$150 million, paid in instalments, and had since built a two-roomed house on the land.
The house is currently occupied by her mother.
The property dispute escalated in December 2024, when David Shoko returned from Namibia to commence construction, only to discover an existing structure on the land.
Matsvimbo alleged that the Shokos had colluded with the original seller, Kennedy Nyakudziwanza, in what she claimed was a fraudulent resale of the land.
However, Justice Kabasa dismissed the claims of collusion and upheld the Shokos’ legal ownership, noting that they held a registered and uncontested title deed.
“The applicants are the registered owners of the property which is being occupied by the respondent. Such occupation is not with the applicants’ consent. The applicants’ title to the property has not been impugned,” the judge stated.
Matsvimbo had reported Nyakudziwanza to the Zimbabwe Republic Police, and he now faces fraud charges.
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The judge emphasized that any legal recourse available to Matsvimbo lies with the seller who allegedly deceived her—not the subsequent lawful purchasers.
“The fact that the respondent has reported the seller for fraud is telling. He is the one who duped her, and it is to him that a claim lies,” said Justice Kabasa.
With no evidence presented to support Matsvimbo’s claims of fraudulent conduct by the Shokos, the High Court ordered her to vacate the property within seven days, failing which she would be forcibly removed by the Sheriff of the High Court.
In addition, Matsvimbo was ordered to pay the Shokos’ legal costs.
In light of the new Title Deeds Validation Regime under Statutory Instrument 76 of 2025, authorities have urged prospective buyers to verify all ownership documentation through official channels before proceeding with any land acquisition.
