By Tadiwa Shunje
MASVINGO – Directors of Full Life Open Arms Africa Investment (FLOAAI) Housing Trust, Pastor Godfrey Nelson Madanyaya and Dr Andrew Chigudu, walked free on June 5, 2026, after Masvingo Regional Magistrate Innocent Bepura dismissed fraud charges against them, ruling that the State had failed to establish a prima facie (meaning a case that is sufficient on its face to proceed to trial) case.
The pair had been accused of fraud in connection with the Buffalo Range Town Expansion project in Chiredzi. Prosecutors alleged that approximately 1,700 residential stands were used as collateral to secure a US$1.2 million loan from NMB Bank and that funds earmarked for feasibility studies were diverted for personal use.
After considering evidence from six witnesses, including officials from Chiredzi Town Council and Chiredzi Rural District Council, Magistrate Bepura ruled that the State had failed to prove the essential elements of fraud. The court noted that the witnesses’ testimony instead showed the existence of contractual agreements between the parties and beneficiaries involved in the housing project.
“The State failed to make out a prima facie case against the accused persons. The facts placed before this court disclose a contractual dispute, which is a matter for determination by a civil court. The essential elements of fraud have not been established, and the accused are therefore discharged at the close of the State case,” said Bepura.
The criminal case had its origins in a project that began more than a decade ago. Sometime in 2015, the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water and Fisheries offered Chiredzi Town Council 750 hectares of the remainder of Buffalo Range to develop residential stands for the local community.
Since the area was under the jurisdiction of Chiredzi Rural District Council, a joint committee was formed by the two local authorities to oversee the project.
The two councils engaged FLOAAI to carry out a feasibility study and handle town planning tasks, including subdivision of the land and identification of possible routes for road opening and excavation up to hard surface. FLOAAI was mandated to develop phase one of 350 hectares and hand it over to the two councils.
However, the project soon ran into trouble. FLOAAI Director, Pastor Godfrey Nelson Madanyaya, was accused of seizing the project and selling stands to desperate home seekers in Chiredzi while allegedly name-dropping President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Minister July Moyo as the owners of the project.
Madanyaya’s list of buyers reportedly grew to more than 1,000 people, including Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) affiliates, who were paying through the Salary Services Bureau (SSB) but were never given offer letters.
In July 2022, the land developer applied for a loan from NMB Bank amounting to US$1.2 million. The State alleged that the developer misrepresented that the loan was guaranteed by the two councils, with 1,700 stands set aside as surety. According to the prosecution, the councils believed the loan was for development of the project and set aside 1,700 stands as collateral, but the developers allegedly converted the loan to personal use and sold the stands without the councils’ knowledge.
Investigations by the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission established that when the stands were sold, the proposed stands on the project were not serviced as per the agreement, and there was no subdivision permit or compliance certificate from the two local boards.
The controversy also drew the attention of the community. The Chiredzi Residents and Ratepayers Association (CHIRRA) sought a court order barring Madanyaya from selling unserviced residential stands. In July 2024, the Masvingo High Court, per Justice Zisengwe, granted an order stopping the sale of stands until after servicing and the issuance of a compliance certificate by the two councils. Despite the order, FLOAAI reportedly continued to deduct money from civil servants registered with them.
In another twist, Chiredzi Rural District Council later moved to terminate its contract with FLOAAI, citing irregularities and breach of contract, and resolved to part ways with both the developer and the Town Council on the 750-hectare joint venture housing project.
The criminal case had previously drawn the attention of Special Presidential Adviser Dr Joram Gumbo. In 2025, Pastor Madanyaya successfully sought Dr Gumbo’s intervention in support of the Buffalo Range Town Expansion project.
In a letter dated August 22, 2025, Dr Gumbo urged Chiredzi Town Council to facilitate the project, arguing that it aligned with the government’s Vision 2030 objective of improving access to affordable housing.
“I received communication directed from His Excellency, The President, Dr E.D. Mnangagwa, concerning an appeal by Pastor G.N. Madanyaya. Recognizing that this initiative aligns directly with the national objectives under Vision 2030 to enhance access to affordable housing, it is critical that such projects receive adequate support to succeed,” reads part of the letter.
Dr Gumbo, however, later amended the correspondence after learning that the matter was before the courts and that the project was the subject of legal proceedings.
“The government does not interfere with matters currently before the courts. I have now been informed that this matter is before the court; therefore, the court’s decision should guide the determination of the matter,” he wrote.
With the dismissal of the criminal charges, the legal saga takes a different turn. The court having ruled that the matter is essentially a contractual dispute, it now falls to a civil court, if any of the aggrieved parties choose to pursue that route, to determine the rights and obligations of the parties under the development agreement. Meanwhile, Madanyaya and Chigudu walk free from the criminal court, their names cleared of fraud.
