News / Local
$20m lawsuit threatens to shut down Zimpapers
09 Feb 2015 at 09:00hrs | Views
Prominent Bulawayo lawyer Sindiso Mazibisa of Cheda and Partners is suing Zimpapers for $20 million.
Mazibisa in court summons claims the financially hamstrung media house defamed him in articles that alleged he swindled a client who wanted to buy mining shares worth $350 000 from him. Workers at Zimpapers fear the lawsuit could sound the death knell for the company that failed to pay staff bonuses and has cut all work related benefits to employees, in a bid to stay afloat.
According to the article, Mazibisa who is a senior partner at Cheda and partners law firm was recently suspended by the Law Society of Zimbabwe over the issue.
Mazibisa has cited Chronicle editor Mduduzi Mathuthu as the first respondent, Reporter Thandeka Moyo who penned the articles as the second, Zimpapers the third and Choppies Zimbabwe - owned by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko - as the fourth. Choppies is facing the music for allegedly distributing Chronicle issues carrying the offending article.
In his court application Mazibisa blames Mathuthu for "infantile, immature and biased reporting" and influencing Moyo to write falsehoods about him.
A Press statement released by the Law Society of Zimbabwe today states Mazibisa and Mlamuli Ncube, partners at Cheda and partners, have voluntarily surrendered their practicing law certificates.
The society has been placed under curatorship and the curator is Advocate Perpertua Dube.
In one of the articles, Chronicle claimed the Law Society took the step mainly because of the $350 000 fraud.
Seven lawyers at the firm are however, still allowed to perform their duties under the Cheda and Partners name.
Mazibisa in court summons claims the financially hamstrung media house defamed him in articles that alleged he swindled a client who wanted to buy mining shares worth $350 000 from him. Workers at Zimpapers fear the lawsuit could sound the death knell for the company that failed to pay staff bonuses and has cut all work related benefits to employees, in a bid to stay afloat.
According to the article, Mazibisa who is a senior partner at Cheda and partners law firm was recently suspended by the Law Society of Zimbabwe over the issue.
Mazibisa has cited Chronicle editor Mduduzi Mathuthu as the first respondent, Reporter Thandeka Moyo who penned the articles as the second, Zimpapers the third and Choppies Zimbabwe - owned by Vice President Phelekezela Mphoko - as the fourth. Choppies is facing the music for allegedly distributing Chronicle issues carrying the offending article.
A Press statement released by the Law Society of Zimbabwe today states Mazibisa and Mlamuli Ncube, partners at Cheda and partners, have voluntarily surrendered their practicing law certificates.
The society has been placed under curatorship and the curator is Advocate Perpertua Dube.
In one of the articles, Chronicle claimed the Law Society took the step mainly because of the $350 000 fraud.
Seven lawyers at the firm are however, still allowed to perform their duties under the Cheda and Partners name.
Source - Byo24News
