Zimbabwe Cricket OB van impounded

Zimbabwe Cricket's mounting debt problems came to a head on Tuesday afternoon, when the deputy sheriff in Harare impounded its Outside Broadcast van, as well as vehicles used by managing director Wilfred Mukondiwa and selector Givemore Makoni. The vehicles were seized as a result of ZC's labour dispute with former employee Andrew Muzamhindo, who claims he is owed in excess of US$100,000.

Muzamhindo was an executive in ZC's commercial department for three years, helping to run their public relations and media departments, as well as securing sponsorship. He left the organisation in 2008, which was when an arbitration process began over money allegedly owed to him. The case went to the Labour Court, and ZC then appealed to the High Court, which ruled in Muzamhindo's favour, with the result that in January 2013 the deputy sheriff attached office equipment and vehicles belonging to ZC. A failed appeal to the Supreme Court and delays in locating all attached property culminated in the most recent seizure of ZC property.

"Justice always catches up with you, no matter how long it takes," Muzamhindo told the Daily News. "All I want is what's due to me. I don't have anything against ZC. It's unfortunate some people personalised the issue, they failed to separate between personal and business issues."

There is, however, some disagreement as to who the Outside Broadcast van actually belongs to. The vehicle, which was purchased by ZC almost nine years ago, was seized at the property of ZiFM Stereo, a local radio station. ZC spokesman Lovemore Banda told ESPNcricinfo, "ZiFM is the owner. It was taken from the owner's property, not from here."

The Daily News, a local newspaper, claims it has seen documents which show that the OB van is still in ZC's name, and ZiFM chief executive Susan Makore told the Daily News that "where it was has got nothing to do with ZiFM. ZiFM has never owned an OB van. However, the fact that it was towed from where it was might mean it's not Zimbabwe Cricket property. But I don't want to get myself into problems by commenting on other people's business. Since it's a matter involving ZC, you can get in touch with ZC officials."

A source close to ZiFM suggested to ESPNcricinfo that the radio station was in the process of purchasing the OB van, while ZC added to ESPNcricinfo that as this is a legal matter under due process, and therefore sub judice, they could not comment further.

Douglas Chinawa, Muzamhindo's lawyer, could not confirm whether or not ZiFM had been in the process of buying the van, but told ESPNcricinfo: "This has been a real struggle, and should have been resolved more than a year ago. It was only after a thorough search, with the deputy sheriff exercising due diligence to serve the writ of execution, that we were able to locate vehicles." Local media claimed that fourteen other ZC vehicles will be attached by the deputy sheriff today, but Chinawa could not confirm the full extent of property to be seized.

While the value of the van would be in the region of US$30,000-40,000, the cost of the Outside Broadcast equipment within it would push its value far higher. The van and other vehicles will now be sold at auction in order to cover the money owed by ZC. Supersport, the South African sports channel, manages the technical side of televising international cricket in Zimbabwe, and bring their own OB van with them. ZC's van had rarely been used in recent years, being loaned on occasion to the state broadcaster ZBC and also being used occasionally for domestic cricket.

In a dramatic turn of events, the deputy sheriff and bailiffs had to force their way into the lot where the OB van was being kept and then jump-start the vehicle, as ZiFM staff refused to hand over the keys. The van was being kept at a bonded warehouse officially owned by XCGM, a construction and mining equipment company. Supa Mandiwanzira, who was recently appointed minister of information communication technology, postal and courier services, is both XCGM's chairman and the owner of ZiFM Stereo.

ZC has been battling financial turmoil for several years now. When Ozias Bvute took over the organisation's reins following Vince Hogg's resignation in 2004, ZC was $10 million in the black. The 2012 audit of their accounts shows net liabilities of $14,267,152, and total liabilities of $19,081,421, while ZC's debts totalled around $18million earlier this year.