by Patie
In a shocking development, Bishop Masuka, a prominent figure of the Zion Apostolic Church based in Mount Hampden, Harare, has been arrested on fraud charges. The charges stem from his alleged involvement in swindling a 49-year-old man out of a substantial sum of USD $37,100.
The incident dates back to October 2017, when Masuka reportedly approached the victim with a proposal to purchase large quantities of construction materials. Specifically, Masuka ordered 240,000 bricks and 140 cubic meters of quarry stones. The deal involved Masuka providing two residential plots located in the Crowhill area of Borrowdale, each valued at USD $25,000, as payment for the goods.
The agreement stipulated that once the materials were delivered, the victim would then pay an additional USD $12,900 to cover the processing fees for transferring the property titles. However, after the bricks and stones were successfully delivered, Masuka allegedly became evasive and failed to fulfill his end of the agreement by transferring the ownership of the properties.
Further investigation by the victim revealed that Masuka had already sold the same plots to another client, Mukumba Leonard, who had also been purchasing quarry stones from the complainant. Leonard, upon discovering the discrepancy, refused to pay the additional processing fees Masuka had demanded.
Following this discovery, the victim reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP). The police quickly arrested Bishop Masuka on charges of fraud. Harare provincial spokesperson for the ZRP, Luckmore Chakanza, confirmed the arrest and stated that investigations into the matter are ongoing as authorities seek to uncover the full extent of the fraudulent scheme.
This case has drawn attention to the intersection of religious leadership and financial misconduct, prompting further questions about transparency and accountability within Zimbabwe’s religious institutions.