Story by Peter Chivhima, Courts Reporter
THE office of the Master of the High Court is inundated with property wrangles, in the wake of revelations that more than 50 cases are being dealt with on a weekly basis.
Inheritance and property wrangles are tearing families apart with some cases turning fatal.
This comes after twin brothers from Harare’s Mabvuku suburb were convicted for refusing to vacate a disputed family property.
A follow-up to the office of the Master of the High Court in Harare this Friday revealed worrying statistics, with more than 50 cases being dealt with every week.
“On average, we are dealing with over 50 cases countrywide weekly and this is not a small number if you can calculate. Sometimes we call families and give them direction on how to resolve their disputes. However, we remain thankful to the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa for spearheading campaigns because we used to handle more than 80 cases,” said Master of High Court, Mr Eldered Mutasa.
Mr Mutasa also encouraged the public to take control of their property before they are incapacitated.
“We encourage people to be in control of their properties whilst they are still alive, and this will help in case one or all the parties are gone. At the same time, we encourage people to respect the laws of the country because in most cases we see people distributing the property of the deceased soon either during during burial or memorial services this is wrong. Procedures should be followed,” he said.
Experts laid out some of the ways the citizenry can secure property rights including registering their estates, writing wills, and appointing a property executor.
