Susan Mutami slaps Kazembe with US$50 000 claim

CONTROVERSIAL Zimbabwean socialite and businesswoman, Susan Mutami has slapped Home Affairs Minister Kazembe Kazembe with a US$50 000 claim for unlawful arrest early this year.

Also being sued by Mutami are; Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga, the Director State Intelligence Services (Central Intelligence Organisation) Isaac Moyo, and Officer-in-Charge Law and Order, Harare.

She was arrested on 18 February 2021 at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport while she was in the company of her four-year-old son.

The two were flying to Dubai and Mutami said because of her detention, she lost some income.

Mutami made headlines early this year when she gave out secrets of her love relationship with Norton independent MP Temba Mliswa and on government and political secrets.

In a letter to Kazembe also copied to Matanga, the complainant's legal counsel Mbidzo Muchadehama and Makoni says the claim is arising from the events which transpired on February 18 2021 when Mutami and her son were detained by the state security agents and police details at the airport.

In the process of checking in, the letter said, the state agents prevented the complainant from boarding their flight to Dubai.

"They had no warrant of arrest for our clients. Our clients had not committed any offence. They were not about to commit any offence, neither were they committing any offence," the letter said.

The lawyers claim that despite the complainant's protestation, they were taken against their will to a police post at the airport where they were briefly detained before taken to Harare Central Police Station CID Law and Order section where they were kept against their will until Sunday 21 February 2021 when they were eventually allowed to depart.

The state security agents are being accused of claiming Mutami was a key state witness in a pending case without requesting her at any given time to act as such.

"The detention subjected her to psychological trauma as she was detained together with her four-year-old son. She was subjected to personal anguish, torment, pain, shock, and suffering particularly when state security agents barred her from using her inhaler," the lawyers said.

The legal practitioners said Mutami also lost several income-generating opportunities upon her arrest and detention especially when the purpose of her travel to Dubai was for business as she is the proprietor of S.V.M Health, registered in Australia.

"Should you be willing to settle this amount in full or intend to negotiate on the amount payable, kindly liaise with the writer of this notice for the possible settlement.

"Should we not hear from you, or should you be opposed to this claim we have further instructions to proceed and institute proceedings for the recovery of the above-stated damages without further notice to yourselves," the lawyers added.