Goche files $500k lawsuit against NewsDay

Nicholas Goche, the Labour minister, has filed a $500 000 defamation claim against NewsDay and its publisher Alpha Media Holdings (AMH).

The minister, through his lawyers, Nyika Kanengoni and Partners, filed papers at the High Court demanding damages for alleged defamatory articles written by the NewsDay on February 20 titled "Zinara boss caught in Air Zim's insurance saga."

In the story, the paper alleged the ministry of Transport during the inclusive government era, which was then under Goche, was at the core of the rot at Air Zimbabwe.

The paper claimed Goche's children were senior executives at the airline's insurer, Champions Insurance, a claim the minister has strenuously denied.

The minister says the paper on the following day carried an editorial comment stating that he as Transport minister participated and condoned the rot at Air Zimbabwe.

Goche said the comment insinuated that he colluded with parastatal heads in the looting of resources from quasi-government institutions and other entities under his ministry.

"As a result of the publication, the plaintiff has been damaged in his reputation and his professional, personal and social reputation has suffered by the defendants' false and defamatory lies," Goche's papers say, adding he prayed for "payment of the sum of $500 000 being defamation damages."