'Cruel' landlord dragged to court for abusing tenants

HARARE - A land lord has been dragged to Court by his tenant for alleged abuse including digging a trench across his house's main gate to ensure his tenants would not park their cars in the yard.

Marshia Gombe took her landlord Oliver Gavaze to the Civil Court seeking a peace order.

She claimed that  Gavaze was in the habit of verbally abusing her accused him of sending his gardeners to switch off her generator each time she switches it on.

"He dug a big trench across the main gate in a bid to bar me and my fellow tenants from parking cars in the yard," Gombe said.

"I am currently paying my rentals, water and electricity bills in full, but he has the guts to switch off electricity at the house for no clear reason."

Gombe told magistrate Babra Masinire that whenever she switched on her generator, Gavaze teamed up with his gardeners to switch it off.

"He is very violent and at one point he attempted to burn my generator while I was watching television," she said.

Gombe said she was now living in fear since Gavaze was threatening her with unspecified action.

She said she decided to come alone to seek a peace order because her fellow tenants were scared of Gavaze.

However, Gavaze refuted the allegations levelled against him by Gombe and accused her of fabricating stories to please the court.

Masinire granted the order in Gombe's favour which barred Gavaze from verbally or physically abusing her. She ordered the two to keep peace towards each other at all times.