Lawyer hangs Mutasa to dry

via Lawyer hangs Mutasa to dry | The Herald July 24, 2015 by Fidelis Munyoro

Crest-fallen former Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa accused of looting development funds and assets of two schools in Nyanga and converted the money to personal use, has hired a new lawyer to represent him after his lawyers for many years abandoned him. GN Mlotshwa and Company-led by Mr Gerald Mlotshwa, reportedly abandoned Mutasa, a shareholder in Nyafaru Development Company (NDC), who is being sued by the company at the High Court.

GN Mlotshwa did not even renounce agency in the matter, leaving Mutasa with an option to look for another lawyer.

He settled for Antonio and Dzvetero law firm to argue the case for him.

The hearing was supposed to commence on Tuesday before Justice Happias Zhou, but was deferred to a later date to allow a number of procedural issues to be addressed including renunciation and assumption of agency, and filing of heads of argument.

Mr Tapson Dzvetero told Justice Zhou that his firm was now handling the matter and requested for postponement to study the case and do the necessary procedures.

NDC lawyer Mr Douglas Mwonzora, did not oppose the postponement.

Nyafaru primary and secondary schools were constructed after independence on land President Mugabe gave the Tangwena people in appreciation for their help when he crossed into Mozambique in 1975 to prosecute the liberation struggle.

Mutasa is the director NDC, which oversees the running of the schools.

He and NDC chair Pearson Kasu are accused of grabbing four vehicles, including an ambulance, donated to the community.

It is further alleged that Mutasa took at least 400 head of cattle from the Tangwena people and has over the years tried to take over their land.

According to the papers submitted at the High Court, the school development committee wants Mutasa and his company barred from interfering further.

NDC, the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education and Mutasa are listed as respondents in the matter.

The Tangwena community claimed in their papers that NDC through its officials have done everything in their power to derail development of the school including vandalising the school property through the thugs that they have been sponsoring.

“Establishing a bar selling alcohol within the premises of the school. In one instance, 72 window panes were broken by one of the agents of the officials of the first respondent (NDC).

“Despite the resolution of September 16, 2004, the first and third (Mutasa) respondents have been trying to disturb the smooth operations of the two schools in various ways.”

Mutasa and Kasu are also alleged to have taken 20 percent of school funds intermittently.

Mr Dzvetero yesterday said the matter was a simple case of land wrangle between a person claiming to have donated the property against a company which is the registered owner of the property and has title deeds to it.

“There is nothing political about it and some names are being dragged to court for political mileage,” he said.

He said the community was arguing that the company donated the land to it but was now reneging on the donation.