Zimbabwe High Court Orders Forfeiture of Eight Vehicles Linked to Fugitives

Zimbabwe's High Court has mandated the forfeiture of eight vehicles that are connected to individuals who are currently fugitives from the law. The ruling came after the Prosecutor-General submitted a civil forfeiture application targeting the assets.

The fleet of forfeited vehicles includes a red Nissan X-Trail (registration number AEV9794), a BMW with South African registration (CNJ43G), and a Toyota Corolla (registration number ADM9574). Also listed are a Mazda Verisa, a silver Toyota Granvia (AEH8284), a Mitsubishi Colt (ABT9547), an unregistered pink Honda Fit, and a Mercedes Benz for which registration details were not provided.

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The court ordered the Civil Vehicle Registry which was cited as the 9th respondent to register ownership of the forfeited property in favour of the State.

The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) confirmed that the court instructed the Civil Vehicle Registry, named as the ninth respondent, to transfer ownership of these forfeited properties to the State. The NPAZ stated that this judgment "affirms the judiciary's firm position on assets linked to fugitives and consolidates the State's mandate to reclaim property through forfeiture proceedings."

Civil forfeiture allows the state to seize property suspected of being tainted by criminal activity, even without a criminal conviction, provided it can demonstrate on a balance of probabilities that the assets are proceeds or instruments of crime. The burden then shifts to the owner to contest the claim. This latest ruling contributes to an increasing number of forfeiture orders obtained by the state as it targets unexplained wealth and assets associated with criminal activities. Last year alone, the High Court ordered the forfeiture of 12 houses and 15 vehicles in separate cases where respondents failed to challenge the applications.

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The judgement affirms the judiciary's firm position on assets linked to fugitives and consolidates the State's mandate to reclaim property through forfeiture proceedings.