Florence (née Behane) Pambukani and Felix Pambukani, notorious for their previous fraud convictions, are at the center of a new scandal, fleecing desperate home seekers at Crowhill Farm in Harare.
Crowhill Private Limited owns the property, but the Pambukanis have misled numerous hopeful buyers into believing they legally own the land. The area in question, Chirika Extension of Borrowdale Estate, spans 121.4029 hectares and is under a transfer deed.
Despite a 2021 High Court order from Justice Webster Chinamora, later confirmed by the Supreme Court, prohibiting the Pambukanis from selling the land, the couple allegedly continues to defraud unsuspecting home seekers. The court documents also mandated the eviction of all illegal occupants, but these individuals, misled by the Pambukanis, have resisted the Sheriff’s orders, leading to a standoff.
Crowhill Farm has issued letters to those affected, urging them to regularize their status or face eviction. The fraudulent activities have left many land seekers in a precarious position, losing significant sums of money.
One legal occupant recounted the Pambukanis’ history of fraud. “I know the Pambukanis from when they were convicted of defrauding Lonrho Zimbabwe and served eight years each in prison. After their release, they came to Acorn Farm seeking a stand, and we helped them. But in 2017, Florence tried to run for leadership in Acorn Farm and was barred due to her criminal record.”
The resident added, “Florence knew about our stands, intended for a developer to build a road. She secretly convinced Dr. Msipa to form the Acorn Township Developing Association, a cooperative, for her and her husband’s gain. They own only a tiny fraction of Cleverhill Estate, far from where they are selling and leasing to unsuspecting individuals.”
Efforts to reach the Pambukanis for comment were unsuccessful as their phones were unreachable.
“The Pambukanis are not good people; they are stealing from the community. They don’t own land here,” the resident stated.
The couple also allegedly name-drop, claiming connections to senior government officials, and have a history of evicting farmers from their land. Last year, they reportedly hired armed thugs to attack workers at Wakefield Farm in Selous Area 5, another property they tried to seize illegally. The attack left farm workers severely injured, with some still receiving treatment.
The takeover of Wakefield Farm led to the eviction of 35 families, including children and the elderly. Despite Kenneth Bartholomew having written approval from the Agriculture Minister to stay on his farm, the Pambukanis forcibly evicted him in 2011.
In 2008, the Pambukanis illegally took over Scotsdale Farm, resulting in the death of its rightful owner, Kobus Joubert, in 2010. Following his eviction, the couple also displaced all farm workers, leaving them homeless after years of service.
The Pambukanis’ fraudulent and violent tactics have left a trail of devastation, with many still fighting to reclaim their rightful properties and livelihoods.
