HARARE – A Zimbabwean man previously jailed in the United States for tax fraud has been arrested at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport for allegedly seizing ownership of a luxury property in Harare.
Elijah Meskano, 52, appeared before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa on September 27, facing fraud charges. He was granted US$200 bail after prosecutors accused him of attempting to flee the country.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Meskano fraudulently transferred ownership of a US$580,000 triple-storey mansion in Damofalls into his name without the knowledge of the rightful owner, Maria Mafunga, 41, co-director of Deluxe International School in Ruwa.
Court documents state that Mafunga legally acquired part of stand 829, measuring 2,916 square metres, in February 2017 from Brighton Ushendibaba. Over time, she constructed a luxury home, paid all necessary permits and development fees, and faced no ownership challenges until recently.
Meskano purchased the remaining three subdivisions of the property in 2017. Prosecutors allege that between 2017 and 2022, Mafunga peacefully developed her section. However, in August 2025, Meskano allegedly altered the land records, fraudulently registering the entire property under his and his wife Rudo’s names.
The fraud came to light in September 2025 when Mafunga received Harare City Council bills listing Elijah and Rudo Meskano as the registered property owners. She reported the issue to police, prompting a rapid response when authorities learned Meskano was planning to leave Zimbabwe.
Meskano was intercepted at the airport and taken into custody.
This isn’t his first brush with the law. In 2013, Meskano was sentenced to 45 months in U.S. federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to steal public funds in Texas. He and his roommate, Cephas Msipa, filed 192 fake tax returns using stolen identities and false income details between 2011 and 2012.
The IRS deposited refunds into fake bank accounts they had created. Meskano was ordered to repay US$52,000, while Msipa was ordered to repay over US$118,000. U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Saldaña called it “a deliberate theft of taxpayer money.”
Meskano’s current case continues in Harare, with further proceedings pending.
