By Abel Karowangoro
Harare – Wynester Trading Private Limited, represented by Robert Charles Andrew Kind, is embroiled in a dispute with the late Provincial Hero Edward Tichaona Tirikoti’s family. They accuse him of forging their signatures to extend a Joint Venture without their involvement.
The conflict arose when the late Tirikoti entered into a Joint Venture with Robert Kind on May 1, 2016, after acquiring a total of 243.75 hectares of Government Land Reform Farm at Nyaringondo Seke, Mashonaland East. According to an agreement seen by Zim Morning Post, Robert Kind’s contract was initially set to expire on April 30, 2023. However, the family was shocked to discover that the contract had been extended until 2033.
In an interview with Tirikoti’s elder son, Trymore Murwira, he revealed that the current agreement held by Robert Kind from the Ministry of Lands is fake, as they did not sign it; he alleges that their signatures were forged.
“I am confident that Robert Kind took advantage of us. At the time he presented his papers, our father could neither speak nor write,” Murwira stated.
“All signatories to that Joint Venture were never involved; we don’t know how he managed to do that.”
In an attempt to seek clarification, Robert Kind referred the publication to his lawyer, Rudo Mugandani, who mentioned that there are High Court orders they were unaware of until now.
Loreta Machingauta, wife of the late Tirikoti, expressed fear due to threats from Robert Kind’s lawyers. She said, “For now, I don’t know what to do because Robert Kind is making life difficult for us on our own farm. He is preventing us from using our own property here.”
“Recently, Kind even fired gunshots, and I fainted. I was taken to the hospital and later diagnosed with diabetes,” she added.
Another son of Tirikoti, Lotion Muriwira, expressed shock over the current Joint Venture Agreement. “The agreement indicates that we never participated in it; he forged our signatures. Unfortunately, we lack someone who can assist us, and every office we seek help from treats us as fools,” Muriwira lamented.
“Robert Kind isn’t even paying land rates; they have accumulated to US$3,336. Additionally, it has been two years without him paying the US$500 stipulated in the first Joint Venture Agreement. He provides bank statements showing ‘pending,’ but our mother has never accessed that money,” he concluded.
