The Hong Kong companies’ registry records that the three-story house was bought by Chinese businessman Hsieh Ping-Sung thought his company Cross Gobal in 2008. In 2010 the company sold it to Hsieh. He has refused to hand over the title deeds to the property.
The Mugabe family has had other business dealings with Hseih that went sour. They accuse the businessman of stealing $1 million from a trucking deal. Observers say the latest dispute shows the extent to which the Mugabes and their Zanu (PF) colleagues have gone to hide the acquisition of valuable assets abroad.
They also question why, if the house belonged to the government and not the Mugabe family, it was occupied by Bona Mugabe. It is not clear who is footing the legal bill in the battle to get the deeds back from Hsieh.