By Judith Nyuke
A Harare lawyer reportedly suffered a US$13,000 loss after two representatives from the Small Grains and Legumes Association Trust falsely claimed they would pay for tillage services after a harvest, but never fulfilled their promise.
Small Grains and Legumes Association Trust represented by Oral Ntsona, 36, and Lousthaan Tapiwa Ngoshi, 32, appeared before Harare magistrate Sharon Rakafa charged with fraud.
The State has opened its case by calling Standa Sani, a 42-year-old lawyer and the complainant in this matter, to give his testimony. The trial will continue on 3 September 2025.
It is alleged that sometime in 2020, Sani’s colleague, Nyasha Nyamadzawo, allegedly told him that the Small Grains and Legumes Association Trust, through a representative named Oral Ntsona, needed tillage services for a CHIA crop in Mhondoro.
After receiving Sani’s contact number from his colleague Nyamadzawo, Ntsona sent Sani a draft contract for the tillage services. The contract was purportedly from the Small Grains & Legumes Association, with the registration number 02251/2018.
Ntsona and Ngoshi indicated that they had no money to pay immediately after Sani had rendered services imposed upon him by the purported contract but that they would pay him US$13,000 once the Chia crop they were growing was sold.
When Sani raised concerns about the risks of growing the crop, the pair allegedly assured him it was insured for US$23,000.
This guarantee meant his payment for services would be covered by the insurance if anything happened to the crop before it was sold.
Based on false assurances, Sani was reportedly deceived into signing a contract on February 28, 2021, and began providing services in Mhondoro. The contract, signed by Ntsona and witnessed by fellow trustee Ngoshi, listed the organization’s address as Stand No. 25443 Adelaide Park, Ruwa.
It is the State’s case that the accused persons failed to provide the payment as per agreement as they alleged the crop was allegedly attacked by frost and their insurance cover had lapsed before the harvesting of the crop.
Sani pursued his case through the contract’s costly arbitration clause, which he believed was deliberately added to dissuade him. His efforts paid off, and he was granted the award even after Ntsona and Ngoshi argued the contract was invalid because it was made in the name of a trust.
Sani successfully applied for the registration of Arbitral Award under case number H.C 4804/22 at the High court and was granted although accused persons denied being lawfully indebted to him.
Sani attempted to enforce the judgment but discovered the accused had provided a fake address, proving their intent to deceive him from the start. This fraud ultimately resulted in a total loss of US$13,000, with nothing recovered.
