News / National
Gappah's properties worth $18k attached over Mahere defamation
09 Nov 2024 at 17:18hrs | Views
Renowned author Petina Gappah has had her property seized by bailiffs after losing a defamation lawsuit filed by lawyer Fadzayi Mahere. Gappah was ordered to pay US$18,000 in damages after a series of defamatory statements made about Mahere were deemed harmful by the Harare High Court.
In August, the court ruled in favor of Mahere, a former Mt Pleasant Member of Parliament and lawyer, who had sued Gappah for remarks she made on X (formerly Twitter). Gappah, in her posts, accused Mahere of gaining admission to the University of Zimbabwe through her father's influence, claiming she had written an essay for Mahere's Cambridge University Master's application, and alleging that Mahere had attempted to seduce her former partner.
In May, Gappah issued a public apology and retracted the statements, offering to donate to a charity chosen by Mahere in an attempt to resolve the legal matter amicably. However, Mahere rejected the apology, calling it insincere, and pressed on with her claim for damages, which initially sought US$50,000. The court ultimately awarded her US$18,000 in compensation.
Documents seen by ZimLive revealed that on November 6, bailiffs from the Sheriff's office visited Gappah's Highlands property to attach assets in order to recover the awarded sum. Among the items seized were a refrigerator and a dining suite, although the value of the property was found to be insufficient to cover the full amount owed.
The legal battle between Gappah and Mahere, which Justice Joseph Martin Mafusire described as "long, arduous, and acrimonious," has been a tense affair. In his ruling, Mafusire described Gappah's defense as being "laced with bitterness and malice," highlighting the severity of the defamation.
Petina Gappah, who is an international trade lawyer and the author of two novels Out of Darkness, Shining Light and The Book of Memory, as well as two short story collections Rotten Row and An Elegy for Easterly, now faces the financial and reputational consequences of her legal defeat.
Fadzayi Mahere, who is an advocate in Zimbabwe's superior courts and a former spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has yet to comment publicly on the property seizure.
In August, the court ruled in favor of Mahere, a former Mt Pleasant Member of Parliament and lawyer, who had sued Gappah for remarks she made on X (formerly Twitter). Gappah, in her posts, accused Mahere of gaining admission to the University of Zimbabwe through her father's influence, claiming she had written an essay for Mahere's Cambridge University Master's application, and alleging that Mahere had attempted to seduce her former partner.
In May, Gappah issued a public apology and retracted the statements, offering to donate to a charity chosen by Mahere in an attempt to resolve the legal matter amicably. However, Mahere rejected the apology, calling it insincere, and pressed on with her claim for damages, which initially sought US$50,000. The court ultimately awarded her US$18,000 in compensation.
The legal battle between Gappah and Mahere, which Justice Joseph Martin Mafusire described as "long, arduous, and acrimonious," has been a tense affair. In his ruling, Mafusire described Gappah's defense as being "laced with bitterness and malice," highlighting the severity of the defamation.
Petina Gappah, who is an international trade lawyer and the author of two novels Out of Darkness, Shining Light and The Book of Memory, as well as two short story collections Rotten Row and An Elegy for Easterly, now faces the financial and reputational consequences of her legal defeat.
Fadzayi Mahere, who is an advocate in Zimbabwe's superior courts and a former spokesperson for the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC), has yet to comment publicly on the property seizure.
Source - zimlive
