Dydimus Mutasa locks out Sheriff

Former Zanu-PF secretary for administration Didymus Mutasa reportedly locked up gates and doors to his Umwinsdale property in a bid to block the Sheriff from attaching his assets over a $26 000 debt owed to lawyers who represented him in his battles with the revolutionary party.

Execution was temporarily stopped to allow the Sheriff to engage the services of a locksmith.

An assistant sheriff, Mr Kapfudzaruwa, on February 1 attempted to attach property at Mutasa's Umwinsdale house, but faced stiff resistance from his workers.

The Sheriff will now go back to the house with a locksmith to gain access into the premises and execute a court order that compels the politician to pay $26 919,25 to Nyakutombwa Mugabe Legal Counsel.

Mutasa, together with Rugare Gumbo and Temba Mliswa, were in 2015 expelled from Zanu-PF for illegally trying to topple President Mugabe.

Mutasa and Gumbo were, until their sudden expulsion last week, part of a new political outfit — Zimbabwe People First —led by former Vice President Joice Mujuru. Mliswa is now legislator for Norton on an independent ticket.

Mutasa and Gumbo then claimed to have counter-expelled ZimPF interim leader Mujuru, after their expulsion together with five others.

Together with Mliswa, they engaged the services of Nyakutombwa Mugabe Legal Counsel to fight their expulsion from Zanu-PF in 2015.

They also sought to nullify an amendment made to the revolutionary party's constitution at its 2014 National People's Congress.

After filing several applications, the trio later chickened out and dropped the challenge, but the lawyers billed them $26 000 for work already done which they did not pay.

The lawyers approached the High Court earlier this year claiming the outstanding fees.

Last week, Justice Felistus Chatukuta issued a default judgment against Mutasa and ordered him to pay the $26 000 plus interest.

Gumbo and Mliswa are contesting the claim and their matter is yet to be heard at the High Court.

Justice Chatukuta last year ordered Mutasa (first defendant in the suit) to pay the $26 919,25 after he failed to turn up for the case.

The judge also ordered Mutasa to pay costs of the suit.