Row erupts among Zipra war vets

A ROW has erupted between compatriots in the Zipra War Veterans Trust over occupation of Castle Arms Motel in Bulawayo, a property owned by the former fighters group known as Nitram Investments Private Limited.

Zipra Veterans Trust's, Casper Sibanda and 12 others filed summons against fellow war vets, Susan Sibanda, Molly Moyo and Sinikiwe Siwela at the Bulawayo High Court seeking an order to force the three off the property.

"The plaintiffs' claims against the defendants jointly or severally are for an order that the defendants jointly be interdicted from interfering with the plaintiff who have a direct and or beneficial interests access to and use of the premises a property known as Castle Arms Motel located in Trenance, Bulawayo upon service of this order," read the summons.

The applicants are also seeking an "order that the defendants and those claiming through them be ordered to vacate the Castle Arms Motel within three days of this order and an order for payment of costs of suit on an attorney to client scale."

In their declaration of the suit, Zipra Veterans Trust and its executive members submitted that in 1980 at the assembly points that preceded independence members of liberation movement Zapu's armed wing of Zapu, contributed some money from their allowances towards investment to purchase the properties, among them Castle Arms Motel in Bulawayo. They said these properties were meant to benefit them in terms of income.

They submitted that the three war veterans were in illegal occupation of the property, as they were not direct beneficiaries or contributors to the purchase of the property.

The war veterans' trust stated that on several occasions the defendants have denied them access to the premises and they have since turned the Motel into a chicken project.

Applicants are praying for an order compelling the eviction of the three from the property of which failure to comply a Sheriff of Zimbabwe should be directed to evict them from the property.

The defendants are yet to respond to the summons.