Exposed: Fraudulent Associations Extort Thousands From Epworth Families Over Fake Demolition Panics
By Correspondent.
Epworth —A predatory syndicate operating under the guise of legitimate residents’ associations has been exposed for systematically extorting and scamming vulnerable homeowners across Epworth. For nearly six years, these groups have deliberately delayed President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s historic Presidential Title Deeds Programme, keeping residents trapped in legal uncertainty while collecting thousands of dollars in unaccounted fees.
Investigations have uncovered the scheme run through networks like the **Epworth Urban Residents Association** and the **Kushinga Epworth Residents Trust**. Whenever government agencies or the Epworth Local Board move forward with regularisation, infrastructure development, or title deed distribution, the syndicate springs into action to manufacture widespread panic.
By spreading false rumors of imminent house demolitions and mass evictions, the ringleaders convince terrified families that urgent legal intervention is their only salvation. They then collect unconfirmed sums from thousands of households under the pretext of paying for legal retainers, High Court applications, and private surveyor fees.
To fuel this panic, the syndicate frequently weaponizes distorted claims and hearsay—such as fear-inducing comments allegedly made by a heavy-equipment operator working in the area. In truth, the Epworth Local Board operates strictly within official statutory procedures, issuing formal written notices and public announcements through established administrative channels before carrying out any development work.
Despite losing at least five major court battles over the past six years, the syndicate continually invents new legal angles to prolong litigation and justify fresh fundraising drives. These repetitive applications function less as a legal strategy and more as a lucrative business model designed to keep money flowing into executive pockets.
The latest scheme involves a High Court application fronted by Samson Ziso of the Epworth Urban Residents Association and 46 others from Wards 5 and 6 (Hospital Site), seeking an interdict against the Epworth Local Board over alleged threats to 16,000 houses. While court documents cite long-standing grievances dating back to 2001—including bogus layout plans and double allocations—insiders reveal the lawsuit is merely the latest vehicle used to solicit money from unsuspecting families.
Whistleblowers within the associations, including former allies aligned with figures like John Mabwe of the Kushinga Epworth Residents Trust, have now exposed the inner workings of the racket. Disgruntled former mobilisers, dissatisfied with meager payouts after years of collecting cash from vulnerable residents, accuse the executive leadership of turning the organizations into personal cash cows.
“We were used as frontline mobilisers to collect cash from households under the guise of legal contributions, but the leadership pockets almost everything,” confessed one former insider. “Whenever a court case is dismissed, they immediately craft another petition against the Presidential Title Deeds Programme just to keep the collections going. It was never about saving homes; it was about keeping the money flowing while ordinary residents get nothing.”
By continuously blocking the regularisation process, the syndicate prevents residents from receiving official title deeds that would grant them permanent legal ownership and protection from land barons. Instead, the leadership exploits the insecurity of informal settlement status to maintain an extortion racket, leaving impoverished families financially drained and exposed to perpetual uncertainty.
Authorities are urging Epworth residents to exercise extreme caution, verify all requests for legal funds, and avoid falling victim to bogus associations profiting off public panic at the expense of national development initiatives.
