Air Zimbabwe property attached, can be auctioned anytime

AIR Zimbabwe employees who are owed nearly US$400 000 in unpaid salaries and bonuses yesterday attached property that includes management vehicles. 
Efforts to stop the attachment and subsequent auctioning of the assets failed at the High Court yesterday. 
The properties, attached by the deputy sheriff last Friday, can now be auctioned anytime despite protests by Airzim that this will paralyse its already struggling operations. 
Pilots are on strike and the airline has for the past two weeks been transferring passengers to other carriers. 
Airzim is incurring a monthly loss of US$3,5 million and all its craft on all routes - when operating - are incurring losses. 
Some of the properties were attached in November last year, but had not been auctioned because of legal challenges.
Yesterday, High Court judge, Justice Andrew Mutema, dismissed with costs an urgent chamber application for stay of execution by Airzim lawyer Mr Selby Hwacha. 
Justice Mutema said the High Court had no jurisdiction on the matter. 
In his application, Hwacha said the airline's operations "will be irreparably affected if execution is allowed to proceed". He said the national airline was an important and strategic State institution. 
"The attachment and or notice to remove and sell applicants' property is so manifestly unlawful that an inference of improper conduct is sustainable," Hwacha had argued. 
He also challenged the impartiality of Arthur Manase, the arbitrator in the case between Airzim and its workers.