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NewsDay

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Kwekwe mine saga takes new twist

News
Kwekwe Australian Lee Jones, who owns Kwekwe Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) which is embroiled in a legal dispute over the ownership of Chaka Plant and its gold mining claims, has approached the Bulawayo High Court in a bid to end the squabbles. KCGMs ownership claim of Chaka Plant, which is 4km outside Kwekwe, came under […]

Kwekwe Australian Lee Jones, who owns Kwekwe Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) which is embroiled in a legal dispute over the ownership of Chaka Plant and its gold mining claims, has approached the Bulawayo High Court in a bid to end the squabbles.

KCGMs ownership claim of Chaka Plant, which is 4km outside Kwekwe, came under scrutiny after a trust formed by former workers of Globe and Phoenix Mine filed an urgent High Court application seeking to have Jones and his company evicted from Chaka Plant.

In their application, the Globe and Phoenix Workers Trust argued that Jones had fraudulently acquired Chaka Plant and its gold claims from its previous owners who left the country in 2002.

On February 21, 2002, Jones successfully and fraudulently submitted a CR 14 to the Registrar of Companies as an Australian citizen . . . He had earlier submitted another one as a Zimbabwean, clearly he is listed as owner of KCGM fraudulently . . . has no ownership rights over Globe and Phoenix Mines, wrote Arnold Mandaba in an affidavit deposed on behalf of the trust.

However, when the case was heard by Justice Bharet Patel, on March 19, the judge dismissed the matter saying it was not urgent. The trust then withdrew their court application. Jones through his lawyer Valentine Mutatu has now hit back and has challenged the former workers to prove their claim to Chaka Plant and its mine claims or shut up forever because the allegations were now hurting his business.

Defendant made several reports to law enforcement agents and unsuccessfully filed court actions with the High Court.

As a result of Globe and Phoenix Workers Trust unfounded allegations, the companys creditworthiness in the business community is adversely affected, reads part of the application lodged under case HC1051/12 at the Bulawayo High Court.

Jones seeks to have the High Court declare his claim to the mine legitimate so that he can concentrate on the core business of running the lucrative mine which has now become the centre of wrangles involving Zanu PF MP William Mutomba and his partner Smelly Dube of Gweru.