A Harare businessman who owns a number of properties in the capital is reported to have demolished his building which was occupied by tenants after his application to evict them was thrown out by the Supreme Court.
The evicted tenant, Ritenote Printers, has filed contempt of court charges against the property owner, Tarik Adam, for demolishing the building at number 147 Mbuya Nehanda Street after losing the court case.
The matter is now pending at the High Court where A Adam and Company, who are cited as respondents, filed an application for leave to file a supplementary opposing affidavit.
After the Supreme Court’s ruling, Adam is said to have raised false allegations against the magistrates’ court’s deputy sheriff, Gift Chingore, accusing him of endorsing false information on his return of service which led to the tenant, Ritenote Printers, getting judgment in its favour.
Chingore was then arrested early this year and charged with criminal abuse of office, but was subsequently acquitted by a Harare magistrate who ruled that he had carried out his mandate properly.
According to the court papers under case number 17/12, the feud between the two businesspersons came about after the Supreme Court granted an order to Ritenote Printers for the eviction of Adam and his company, who had started carrying out renovations at the disputed business stand.
On June 29 last year, Chingore is said to have proceeded to the premises where he evicted builders who were working on site after serving them with a notice of eviction and writ of execution.
However, after Adam was given a 48–hour notice to stop his construction at the site, Chingore went back to the property only to discover that Adam had allegedly destroyed windows, doors and the front part of the premises in breach of the court order.
