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Home Affairs minister, wife face imprisonment
26 Jun 2013 at 03:58hrs | Views
HOME Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi's wife and son have defied a High Court order granted more than a year ago and face the prospect of three months in prison, as lawyers are pushing the court to uphold a contempt of court verdict.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha in February last year ordered the Mohadis to pull down a fence they erected on plots belonging to villagers with whom they are locked in a bitter land wrangle at Jompembe Block in Beitbridge.
However, the family has not done so up to date.
Matshobana Ncube, representing the villagers, yesterday confirmed that he was pushing for the court to uphold a contempt of court verdict that would see the family being incarcerated for 90 days or continuous incarceration until they comply with the order.
"The family of the minister is still to comply with the order," he said. "We are seeking a contempt of court verdict so that they could be incarcerated.
At the moment we are waiting for the set down dates for hearing of our application for contempt of court."
Justice Kamocha granted four villagers, Given Mbedzi, Soforia Ndou, Aifheli Nare and Kumbirai Ncube an order against Mohadi's son, Campbell Trevor and his mother, Tambudzani, a Zanu-PF Senator for Beitbridge, over the disputed land.
Justice Kamocha also ordered the Mohadis and two of their employees Danisa Muleya and Samuel Sibanda not to disturb villagers' possession of their plots.
Plot 1 belongs to Mbedzi and 2 belongs to Ndou, 3 to Nare and 4 to Ncube, the second, third and fourth applicants respectively.
The minister's family was ordered to remove the fence at their own expense as the court declared it illegal.
Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Lawrence Kamocha in February last year ordered the Mohadis to pull down a fence they erected on plots belonging to villagers with whom they are locked in a bitter land wrangle at Jompembe Block in Beitbridge.
However, the family has not done so up to date.
Matshobana Ncube, representing the villagers, yesterday confirmed that he was pushing for the court to uphold a contempt of court verdict that would see the family being incarcerated for 90 days or continuous incarceration until they comply with the order.
"The family of the minister is still to comply with the order," he said. "We are seeking a contempt of court verdict so that they could be incarcerated.
Justice Kamocha granted four villagers, Given Mbedzi, Soforia Ndou, Aifheli Nare and Kumbirai Ncube an order against Mohadi's son, Campbell Trevor and his mother, Tambudzani, a Zanu-PF Senator for Beitbridge, over the disputed land.
Justice Kamocha also ordered the Mohadis and two of their employees Danisa Muleya and Samuel Sibanda not to disturb villagers' possession of their plots.
Plot 1 belongs to Mbedzi and 2 belongs to Ndou, 3 to Nare and 4 to Ncube, the second, third and fourth applicants respectively.
The minister's family was ordered to remove the fence at their own expense as the court declared it illegal.
Source - southerneye