Harare Lawyer Sentenced to Prison Over US$30k Bluffhill Land Scam

Harare lawyer Concellia Maheya

HARARE — The legal profession in Zimbabwe has been struck by another blow to its reputation after Concellia Maheya, a Harare-based lawyer, was sentenced to an effective one-year prison term for theft of trust property involving a fraudulent land deal.

Magistrate Lisa Mutendereki handed down a three-year sentence, emphasizing that the gravity of the offense and the breach of fiduciary duty constituted significant aggravating circumstances.

Of the initial three-year sentence:

• One Year Suspended: On condition that Maheya does not commit a similar offense within the next five years.

• One Year Suspended: On condition that she restitutes US$10,000 to the complainant, Mercy Kabvara, by June 19, 2026.

• Effective Sentence: Maheya will serve one year in prison.

The court heard that in October 2021, the complainant, Mercy Kabvara, sought to purchase a residential stand in the leafy suburb of Bluffhill. She was introduced to Maheya, who was then employed at Maseko Law Chambers.

Maheya allegedly masqueraded as the legal representative of the property owner, producing a forged title deed to facilitate the transaction. Trusting the legal professional, Kabvara paid US$30,000 in cash for the stand, plus an additional US$500 specifically for conveyancing fees.

The scam unraveled when Kabvara attempted to collect the legitimate title deeds. The Deeds Office confirmed the documents provided by Maheya were sophisticated forgeries and revealed that the Bluffhill property had actually been sold to a third party in 2018.

In a desperate attempt to avoid prosecution, Maheya reportedly offered Kabvara an alternative property in Hatfield as compensation. However, investigations revealed she had no legal authority to dispose of that property either. Maheya eventually signed an acknowledgement of debt admitting she owed the full US$30,000, but the victim remained at a total loss of US$30,500.

Legal analysts suggest this case highlights the growing risks within the informal land market and the critical need for buyers to independently verify documents with the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) and the Deeds Office, even when dealing with registered legal practitioners.

The LSZ is expected to initiate its own disciplinary proceedings, which could result in Maheya being struck off the register of legal practitioners.

Harare lawyer sentenced Concellia Maheya