THE late Vice-President (VP) Joseph Msika left behind an estate valued at $320 000 after serving for almost a decade as President Robert Mugabe’s deputy, NewsDay can reveal.
by PAIDAMOYO MUZULU
Msika died aged 85 on August 5, 2009, due to renal failure and hypertension. His estate was opened for inspection two weeks ago, where lawyer Tazvitya Mapfumo was appointed executor.
According to the late VP’s last will signed on June 18, 2009, the estate comprises four immovable properties, some shares on listed companies, farm implements and a private company, Gumtree.
Beneficiaries of the estate include his wife, Maria, whom he married in Botswana in 1946, their three grown-up children Lucia, Shelton and Maxwell, and other close family members listed on the will.
Msika’s four immovable properties were evaluated by Preferred Properties in 2010 and found to be worth $195 000.
The properties include a Highlands home valued at $60 000, Gumtree Claremont Plot in Bulawayo valued at $30 000, a Matshemuhlope home in Bulawayo valued at $45 000 and Ndire Farm (Concession) then valued at $60 000.
All these properties were left to his wife, according to the will.
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In addition, Maria will also have access to her husband’s Old Mutual insurance policy, whose value was not disclosed, cash savings worth $2 278,72 in a Standard Chartered Bank account, $11 147,92 in a Standard Chartered Bank current account, 400 Old Mutual shares and 1 032 Econet shares.
The Econet stocks should now stand at 10 320 after the company split its shares recently. Msika’s Nyariri and Nyamapara rural homesteads in Chiweshe communal lands were also bequeathed to his wife.
The late VP also created Tapfuma Trust, which will take care of Wilfred Msika’s family, Benitha Msika’s family, Lucia Tambudzai Msika’s family, Shelton Msika’s family, Maxwell Taguma’s Msika family and Thabani Msika’s family.
The trust will take over all the properties left to Maria upon her death, control the farm enterprise, which by 2010 had 120 cattle, five tractors, a Steyr 7-tonne truck, a Mazda T35 truck and the village homesteads.
