EPWORTH — Cecilia Mupakami, a two-time unsuccessful ZANU PF candidate for the Ward 4 councillor position in Epworth, has been accused of allegedly selling a residential stand she did not own in a disputed US$2,000 transaction.
The dispute has raised fresh concerns among residents over the control and allocation of unserviced residential stands in Nyikavanhu, Ward 4.
The stand is reportedly registered to Terrance, who is currently staying at his rural home, while his sister and a married couple who are lodgers remain at the property.
The family claims they were shocked on Thursday after discovering that the stand had allegedly been sold to another person without their knowledge or consent.
According to a family member who requested anonymity, the family became aware of the alleged transaction after the purported buyer arrived at the property in a truck carrying bricks.
“When I asked what was going on, they told me that Mupakami had sold the stand to them. When I went to her, she refused to engage with me and referred me to someone else. Later, she asked me to team up with her and wanted to give me US$200, but I refused,” the family member said.
The family maintains that it remains the rightful occupant of the disputed property and insists that it never authorised Mupakami or anyone else to sell, transfer or dispose of the stand.
The allegations have also reignited concerns over who has the legal authority to allocate, number and administer unserviced residential stands in Ward 4.
Responding to the allegations, Mupakami told the Hurumende News Hub Investigations Desk that the claims were false and that she was being deliberately linked to a transaction in which she had no involvement.
“People are framing and creating a story. I’m not involved in such a situation. People are framing me and trying to involve me, which is not true,” she said.
Mupakami denied any involvement in the alleged US$2,000 transaction or the sale of the disputed residential stand.
Some residents have raised concerns about the influence of politically connected individuals in local land administration structures, alleging that such influence has sometimes been used in stand-related matters.
Residents have also alleged that other stands belonging to different people, including vulnerable residents, have been affected by similar disputes.
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Mupakami has not been convicted of any offence arising from the disputed transaction.
The controversy has nevertheless intensified calls from residents for greater transparency in the allocation and administration of residential stands in Epworth, particularly in areas where land remains unserviced and ownership records are disputed.
In 2021, Cecilia Mupakami has previously faced allegations of theft. The Zimbabwe Republic Police arrested Mupakami, then 46, who was serving as the ZANU PF Harare Province District Coordinating Committee secretary for legal affairs in Epworth, over allegations involving Command Agriculture inputs.
According to a police summary report, reference number RRB 4916367, Mupakami was accused, together with two other ZANU PF officials, of stealing 250kg of Compound D fertiliser and 25kg of seed maize.
She was expected to appear in court following the arrest.
The 2021 allegations are separate from the current US$2,000 stand dispute, and the previous arrest should not be taken as evidence that Mupakami committed any offence in the current matter.
