Stephen Chadenga
A prominent Gweru businessman, Melvin Van Gopal who took to the witness stand denied ever making fraud and forgery reports to the police in the case pitting him against Gweru miner, Charles Simbi charged together with his wife Zodwa Thembinkosi-Simbi.
Simbi and his wife appeared before Gweru magistrate Beaulity facing fraud and forgery charges. It is alleged Simbi used his wife to forge an offer letter on part of Kanuck Farm, located along Gweru-Shurugwi road.
According to court documents the farm is owned by Van Gopal.
But during cross examination from the accused persons lawyer, Esau Mandipa, Van Gopal insisted he never reported fraud and forgery charges against the couple.
He said instead he went to the police and reported that there were people who were illegally resettled at his farm and that he wanted the law enforcement agents to help evict them.
The 52 Van Gopal wanted evicted were resettled since 2011 by a committee of war veterans from the Midlands with the majority of them granted temporary permits in 2014 and Zodwa Thembinkosi-Simbi is one of the beneficiaries.
The case between the “illegal” settlers and Van Gopal is pending at the High Court.
Asked by Mandipa on whether he knew any reason why the police would single out the accused and press fraud and forgery charges against them when he as the complainant had sought eviction of people he felt had been illegally settled at his farm, Van Gopal said only the police could answer the question and maintained that he never reported those charges.
The case has opened a can of worms of ugly land fights in the Midlands capital especially in areas where there are gold deposits with the clandestine involvement of the police exposes.
After cross examination Mandipa indicated to Gweru magistrate Beaulity Dube that he would make an application to have the case set aside and dismissed since it was not clear who the complainant in the fraud and forgery allegations was.
Dube said she would make her ruling for the application on Thursday.
Allegations are that sometime in May last year Simbi used his wife to forge an offer letter for the 10-hectare plot where gold was discovered.
The state alleges that Simbi used his wife’s name to forge an offer letter claiming ownership of the land.