HARARE – Flamboyant businessman Phillip Chiyangwa has asserted his ownership of a 5,000 square meter piece of land in Harare’s upscale Helensvale area, which is at the centre of a heated dispute with Chinese investors JC Delonics.
Chiyangwa accompanied by his lawyer Advocate Itai Ndudzo on Wednesday presented documents, including a court order and deed of settlement, to a commission of inquiry investigating Harare City Council operations since 2017, claiming he rightfully acquired the land in 2015.
“That’s not the commission thing. The commission starts on 2017, yet I was honoured with the land in 2015,” Chiyangwa told journalists on the sidelines of the commission.
JC Delonics, however, claims to have lost over US$200,000 invested in building a car park on the disputed land, which they were forced to halt after Chiyangwa’s claims emerged.
The Chinese investors have also lodged complaints with the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission and sought intervention from President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s office.
The commission’s inquiry has since raised concerns about the legitimacy of Chiyangwa’s acquisition and the city council’s handling of land allocations.
Chiyangwa’s lawyer Advocate Ndudzo spoke on behalf of his client and cited four court rulings in his favour.
“When they came before the Commission of Inquiry, they were fully aware that they had taken their issues to court.
“JC Delonics was the first to go to court over this land in 2023, claiming that Dr Chiyangwa, through Pinnacle, was claiming ownership of land that they believed was theirs, as it had been allocated to them by the City of Harare. They lost that case and also lost the case in the High Court.
“They went to the Supreme Court, seeking to stay their eviction from occupying Dr Chiyangwa’s land, but lost again. They went to the Supreme Court again, seeking time to appeal, and lost again.
“What infuriates Dr Chiyangwa is that they came before the Commission of Inquiry despite having four court judgments against them. They believe the Commission of Inquiry may somehow present them with a favourable outcome,” Adv Ndudzo said.
