KWEKWE — A Mbizo woman last Thursday ended in court after she violently resisted the seizure of her household property by Kwekwe City Council who have been attaching and auctioning defaulters property.
Report by Blessed Mhlanga Staff Reporter
Shingirai Chihambakwe (37), whose husband Ngoni Dlamini owed council an undisclosed sum in bills, allegedly chased away the assistant messenger of court (MOC)George Ndlovu and his team who had come to attach the household property over the debt.
In the matter which has been brought to court, the State alleged that on July 3, Chihambakwe angered by council’s move to attach her property threatened to assault the MOC and menacingly advanced towards Ndlovu armed with a knife, forcing him to flee.
Ndlovu then went to the police, where he was given police details to escort him to Chihambakwe’s residence. The presence of the police officer, however, did not deter Chihambakwe who refused to let her property go arguing that she did not owe the local authority anything.
Council through its lawyers in a letter dated July 3 and produced in court before magistrate Letwin Rwodzi on Thursday apologised for the mishap saying the bill had erroneously been sent to Chihambakwe instead of her husband Dlamini.
Councils around the country have embarked on an aggressive debt collecting campaign which has seen them attaching household property to induce payment.
