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Zanu-PF councillor grabs farm, jailed
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A Zanu-PF councillor in Bulawayo has spent nearly a month behind bars after defying a series of court orders to vacate a disputed farmhouse in Umguza district, Matabeleland North.
Ward 1 councillor Josiah Mutangi was jailed last month after a civil warrant of arrest was issued against him for contempt of court.
Mutangi has been illegally occupying Imbesu Farm, owned by Zephaniah Matiwaza, since July 2022. Despite several eviction attempts and legal rulings nullifying his lease, he remained at the property without paying rent.
According to court documents, Mutangi has now approached Matiwaza to negotiate his release from prison. A draft deed of settlement filed at the courts shows he has applied for an extension of time to pay and a suspension of the civil imprisonment order granted under case number CG554/22 in March this year.
Under the proposed agreement, Mutangi must pay Matiwaza US$1,000 upon signing the deed of settlement and clear the full judgment debt, including legal costs and execution fees, by December 2025. Payments are to be made through Matiwaza's lawyers, Messrs Ndlovu Mehluli and Partners.
The settlement also stipulates that if Mutangi breaches the agreement, Matiwaza will be entitled to enforce the court orders without opposition after giving seven days' notice.
Matiwaza, who first secured a court order for Mutangi's eviction and repayment of arrears in November 2022, confirmed the new arrangement.
"My lawyers are working on that," Matiwaza told this publication. "I have been receiving a lot of pleas from Mutangi and his wife asking me to facilitate his release."
Mutangi, who once boasted of political connections, is also battling fresh criminal charges. Two weeks ago, he appeared in court alongside Janet Zhou, accused of defrauding 14 vendors by allegedly collecting US$200 each under the pretext of allocating vending bays in Bulawayo's central business district.
The embattled councillor's troubles highlight growing tensions between political clout and the rule of law, as his continued defiance of eviction orders has drawn scrutiny from both the courts and the public.
Ward 1 councillor Josiah Mutangi was jailed last month after a civil warrant of arrest was issued against him for contempt of court.
Mutangi has been illegally occupying Imbesu Farm, owned by Zephaniah Matiwaza, since July 2022. Despite several eviction attempts and legal rulings nullifying his lease, he remained at the property without paying rent.
According to court documents, Mutangi has now approached Matiwaza to negotiate his release from prison. A draft deed of settlement filed at the courts shows he has applied for an extension of time to pay and a suspension of the civil imprisonment order granted under case number CG554/22 in March this year.
Under the proposed agreement, Mutangi must pay Matiwaza US$1,000 upon signing the deed of settlement and clear the full judgment debt, including legal costs and execution fees, by December 2025. Payments are to be made through Matiwaza's lawyers, Messrs Ndlovu Mehluli and Partners.
The settlement also stipulates that if Mutangi breaches the agreement, Matiwaza will be entitled to enforce the court orders without opposition after giving seven days' notice.
Matiwaza, who first secured a court order for Mutangi's eviction and repayment of arrears in November 2022, confirmed the new arrangement.
"My lawyers are working on that," Matiwaza told this publication. "I have been receiving a lot of pleas from Mutangi and his wife asking me to facilitate his release."
Mutangi, who once boasted of political connections, is also battling fresh criminal charges. Two weeks ago, he appeared in court alongside Janet Zhou, accused of defrauding 14 vendors by allegedly collecting US$200 each under the pretext of allocating vending bays in Bulawayo's central business district.
The embattled councillor's troubles highlight growing tensions between political clout and the rule of law, as his continued defiance of eviction orders has drawn scrutiny from both the courts and the public.
Source - Southern Eye
