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Daniel Nemukuyu, Harare Bureau
Professional executor Ms Patricia Darangwa, also known as Patricia Mashingaidze, recently stripped of executorship of the estate of the late socialite Genius “Ginimbi” Kadungure, has suffered another blow after the Zimbabwe Land Commission ordered the withdrawal of her offer letter for a farm at the centre of an inheritance dispute related to another high profile deceased estate.

Before the Ginimbi case, Ms Darangwa had offered advice to one of the widows of late national hero Cde Eric Gwanzura before getting an offer letter for part of the farm listed under the estate.

Cde Gwanzura was a veteran politician and liberation war icon who was buried at the National Heroes Acre in 2013. Gwanzura Stadium in Harare, was named after him.

However, in the Gwanzura land case, she was using the name “Patricia Mashingaidze,” a surname linked to her husband. She is known in Chegutu as Patricia Mashingaidze and the Zimbabwe Land Commission papers bear that name. However, in other circles, she is known as Patricia Darangwa.

Our Harare Bureau called Ms Darangwa on her Econet line and she confirmed she was the one using the surname “Mashingaidze” in the Zimbabwe Land Commission case involving Mr Zvakwana Gwanzura, a son of the hero.

“Yes, I am the one using the name Mashingaidze. That is my husband’s surname. I have since appealed the decision of the Land Commission and I will give you a copy of the appeal when I get into town.

“In fact, I am happy that the matter is now being handled by the ministry,” said Ms Darangwa.

In the Gwanzura estate case, the Master’s file shows the woman attended some of the meetings using the name “Darangwa” but when the land dispute started, she was now using the name “Mashingaidze”.

Beneficiaries in the estate of the late Cde Gwanzura contested the allocation of Subdivision 46 of Exwick Farm, Chegutu to Ms Darangwa resulting in the Zimbabwe Land Commission investigating.

The commission’s chairperson Commissioner Tendai Bare on June 29 established that the woman “took advantage of being an executor representing one of the late hero’s wives” to acquire part of the land.

The commission directed the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water Fisheries and Rural Resettlement to withdraw Ms Mashingaidze’s offer letter and to instead, allocate the farm to Zvakwana Gwanzura.

“Patricia Mashingaidze testified that she is an executor by profession and at some point, she gave expert knowledge on deceased estates to Zvakwana Gwanzura’s stepmother (Monica Makusha) who is also a resident of Exwick Farm.

“Based on this information, the commission is of the view that Patricia Mashingaidze took advantage of being an executor representing the third wife of the late Eric Gwanzura, which led to her acquiring plot 48 Exwick Farm.

“The Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development should withdraw Patricia Mashingaidze’s confirmation letter. The ministry should regularise Zvakwana Gwanzura by issuing him an offer letter for Plot 48 Exwick Farm, Chegutu, Mashonaland West,” reads the commission’s determination.

However, in her appeal to the Zimbabwe Land Commission, Ms Darangwa confirmed being a professional executor who offered professional advice to one of the widows, but stressed she was not an executor of the estate of the late Cde Gwanzura and so denied taking advantage of her profession in acquiring the farm.

“The commission erred in assuming that I was the executrix dative or legal practitioner in the estate of the late Eric Gwanzura, and in that position took advantage to acquire an Exwick Farm plot.

“The commission erred in failing to consider the minister’s instruction in his letter dated 17 December 2014 that I should be allocated the plot in issue. The commission erred in failing to take into account the fact that the respondent (Zvakwana Gwanzura) is resident in the United Kingdom and not Zimbabwe. . .,” reads part of the grounds of appeal.

Ms Darangwa’s appointment as executor of the estate of Ginimbi was nullified as part of the High Court order finding an undated and unsigned will was not valid and could not be used to manage to distribute the estate of the late Ginimbi.

Ms Darangwa was appointed as a result of that will and when it was no longer recognised her appointment ceased.

The same document also bequeathed Ginimbi’s Lamborghini to someone identified only as “Kit-Kat”.

The High Court ruled that Ginimbi died intestate, that is without a will, and so his family can share the assets to the exclusion of friends and other outsiders who were in line to inherit the wealth.

Ginimbi’s sisters, Juliet and Nelia Kadungure, became the new executors to the estate.