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Gono 'chickens' out

News
A Harare woman has withdrawn a court application against Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono’s farming business, Lunah Chickens, after the latter pulled out of the deal where he allegedly wanted to buy Kamfinsa Park Hotel in Greendale suburb. Veronica Duro, daughter of the late Micah Duro, a farmer-cum–hotelier, who is contesting the sale of her […]

A Harare woman has withdrawn a court application against Reserve Bank governor Gideon Gono’s farming business, Lunah Chickens, after the latter pulled out of the deal where he allegedly wanted to buy Kamfinsa Park Hotel in Greendale suburb.

Veronica Duro, daughter of the late Micah Duro, a farmer-cum–hotelier, who is contesting the sale of her father’s hotel, filed notice of withdrawal after Gono got his refund of $150 000 he had paid as deposit towards the purchase of the disputed property.

“I have since (August 1, 2011) withdrawn this application against Lunah Chickens following their own direct contact (with) me on July 29, 2011 whereat they confirmed they had since withdrawn from the sale,” she added.

On Sunday, sources confirmed Gono was no longer interested in buying a disputed property and was also not happy with the coverage the matter was attracting.

But, Duro, who is at the centre of the hotel saga that had sucked in Gono, said she was allegedly forced by the estate executor Tinashe Zenda to withdraw her case against the governor.

Duro also accused Zenda and the Master of the High Court of protecting and failing to take measures against former estate executor, Lucia Nedi, whom she alleges misappropriated $168 000 of the estate’s funds and the matter has since been reported to the police.

Duro, a nurse aide, has accused Zenda of making moves to dispose of the hotel even though the family was not agreeable to the idea as the hotel symbolised the late Duro’s achievements.

She further said in her efforts to keep the family heritage, she had offered to buy the hotel and Zenda gave her first preference as a beneficiary to purchase it at a price of $250 000.

However, when she asked for a written confirmation of the offer, the price was allegedly changed to $300 000 which she accepted.

Duro said after securing financiers, Zenda allegedly changed goalposts and raised the purchase price to $850 000, but to her surprise, the same hotel was later offered to Lunah Chickens for $500 000.

“Respondent (Zenda) is going personal against me and takes sides like he was a member of the family. I have strong suspicion that his interest in the estate has since crossed from the professional plan. It is him who is causing unnecessary squabbles and keeps on changing goalposts,” Duro said.

In his notice of opposition, Zenda said all family members were agreeable to the sale of the hotel except Duro. Zenda said Duro’s offers to purchase the hotel were ploys to buy time.

“Everyone knew very well that as a nurse aide at Harare (Central) Hospital, (she) could not afford to buy the hotel. If anything, the hotel belongs to all beneficiaries who agreed to sell it. There is nowhere it can be reserved for one child out of 14. To date, she has not even raised a cent towards the purchase price,” said Zenda.

Zenda, Lunar Chickens and the Master of the High Court were listed as second, third and fourth respondents respectively in the matter involving the late businessman’s disputed estate.