A Harare car dealer is facing theft of trust property charges after allegedly selling a client's Land Cruiser V8 worth US$200,000 without authorisation, pocketing the proceeds while the vehicle's owner waited in vain to recover it.
Chekufa Matsineyi appeared before Harare magistrate Ruth Moyo on Tuesday but was not required to enter a plea. He was released on US$100 bail and is expected to return to court as the case proceeds.
The complainant, Brian Samupambadze, is the managing director of Rockshade Car Rental (Pvt) Ltd. According to court papers, the sequence of events that led to the alleged theft began in April last year when Samupambadze was at Chirundu Border Post clearing a consignment of buses he had imported into Zimbabwe.
Caught short of funds needed to cover Value Added Tax and storage charges at the border, Samupambadze reached out to Matsineyi seeking a short-term loan of US$4,900, which he said he would repay within three days.
Matsineyi agreed to provide the funds but imposed conditions. He told Samupambadze the loan would attract US$1,500 in interest and would only be released against collateral security in the form of a motor vehicle. Samupambadze, who needed the money urgently to clear his buses and had no other vehicle immediately available, handed over his Land Cruiser V8 200 series, registration AEK 6358, as security against the loan.
With the US$4,900 in hand, Samupambadze completed his business at Chirundu and returned to Harare three days later intending to repay the loan and retrieve his vehicle. He could not locate Matsineyi. Repeated attempts to make contact failed.
It eventually emerged that Matsineyi had sold the Land Cruiser without Samupambadze's knowledge or consent and converted the proceeds to his own use. The vehicle carries a market value of US$200,000, making the alleged breach of trust an offence of considerable magnitude.
Samupambadze reported the matter to police. Matsineyi was subsequently arrested and the vehicle was recovered.
The case highlights a pattern of predatory lending arrangements that exploit moments of financial vulnerability, particularly around high-cost import processes at Zimbabwe's border posts where clearing fees, storage charges, and VAT obligations can create sudden and acute cash flow pressure for business operators.
Matsineyi faces charges of theft of trust property. The matter was remanded and proceedings continue before magistrate Moyo.
Additional reporting sourced from H-Metro. The Granite Post has independently verified key details.
