Passion Java’s Sister, Mavis, Jailed For Selling Non-Existent Residential Stands

Self-proclaimed prophet Passion Java’s sister, Mavis, has been sentenced to five years in prison following her conviction for fraud.

Mavis, along with her accomplice Pauline Gutsa, was found guilty of selling nine non-existent stands to Harare businesspeople Farai Chikuwa, Naledi Maunganidze, and Fortune Rukara, in a scam totalling US$119,000.

Both women are co-directors of Segimel Investments, a company supposedly dealing in buying and selling stands.

Harare Regional Magistrate Feresi Chakanyuka handed down the sentences at the conclusion of a full trial.

While Mavis and Gutsa were convicted, their co-accused, Harare lawyer Proud Mutuso, was cleared of all charges after the court ruled that there was no evidence linking him to the scam. Mutuso was represented by lawyer Oscar Gasva.

Prosecutor Oscar Madhume told the court that the scheme dates back to September 2019. Gutsa and Mavis misrepresented themselves as sellers of residential stands in Milton Park, Vainona, Logan Park, and Gunhill.

Using fraudulent Harare City Council site plans, they convinced Farai Chikuwa, a director of two construction firms, to buy three Milton Park stands at US$15,000 each.

Chikuwa later purchased six more stands in Vainona and Logan Park for herself and Naledi Maunganidze, with total deposits reaching US$97,450, all paid into the duo’s attorney trust account.

Despite repeated promises to deliver offer letters, nothing materialised. When Chikuwa checked with the City of Harare, she discovered the stands were not in the municipal database, prompting her to report the matter to the police.

In a separate count from June 2019, Fortune Rukara was tricked into a similar scam involving a stand in Greendale.

After negotiating the price down to US$20,000 due to a lack of title deeds, Rukara deposited the funds into a trust account.

Although the agreement required her signature to release the money upon receiving an offer letter, the women managed to withdraw the funds and disappear.

Rukara later discovered at the Greendale District Office that the land was not zoned for residential use.