GWERU – A former Zanu PF councillor and losing parliamentary candidate has been arrested for fraud after allegedly forging land ownership papers in a bid to seize mining claims at a farm just outside Gweru.

Charles Simbi, 55, is trying to wrest control of Kanuck Farm along Gweru-Shurugwi road following the discovery of rich gold samples at the property.

Simbi, the former councillor for Gweru Urban ward 12 and losing candidate for MP in Mkoba, was released into the custody of his lawyer Wellington Davira as police continue their enquiries into the matter following his arrest on May 7.

Davira said: “Police and the prosecution will proceed by way of summons when they are ready to charge him. He insists his innocence of course.”

Simbi allegedly used his wife Zodwa Thembinkosi Simbi to forge an offer letter to the 10 hectare plot where the gold was discovered.

The concerned land is part of Kanuck Farm which is legally owned by one Melvin Van Gopal.

Documents seen by ZimLive show that the forgery dispute pits Simbi and his wife on one side and Nyengeterai Tsvangirai and Musiyiwa Paradza on the other. Paradza and Tsvangirai’s New Generation Mining Syndicate are the current owners of the disputed mining claims.

Simbi allegedly mined the area, known as Pretty Polly 33 Mine, in 2022 after being authorised by Tsvangirai’s late husband, Casper Tsvangirai, but pulled out citing unimpressive results from gold samples.

She then partnered with Paradza to form New Generation Mining Syndicate which discovered rich gold samples. They registered nine gold claims on nine hectares.

After learning of the new discovered rich gold samples, Simbi allegedly returned and managed to get one claim registered and attempted to encroach into the New Generation Mining Syndicate territory before being ordered back by the ministry of mines.

After the over-pegging failure, Simbi is accused of using his wife’s name to forge an offer letter claiming  ownership of the land under which New Generation Mining Syndicate was, and conducted some farming activities to disturb the syndicate’s mining activities.

After the dispute spilled to the courts, again Simbi allegedly claimed the piece of land belonged to his wife and produced the alleged fake Offer Letter, which the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Rural Development distanced itself from.

Gweru police established that the farms of interest, Lots 4 and 5 under RIE of Kanuck Farm, are legally owned by one Melvin Van Gopal.

Midlands Provincial Lands Officer Chenai Mnangagwa requested questions in writing. She had no responded at the time of publication.

In September last year, Tsvangirai’s daughter was stabbed and robbed of 55 grams of toasted gold within the vicinity of New Generation Mining Syndicate.

Simbi and his accomplices also have a pending case of theft at the Gweru Magistrate Courts where he allegedly stole 90 tonnes of gold ore from Tsvangirai’s Pretty Polly 33 Mine in October last year.