Five members of the Nehanda Housing Co-operative Society who were masquerading as the executive committee team were last week arrested and charged with contempt of court after defying a High Court order interdicting them from operating in that capacity.
BY CHARLES LAITON
The five — Elizabeth Mapurisa Nyengeterai (42), Austin Hove (56), Lloyd Hamamuti (46), Simba Moyo (48) and Enesia Gutu (41 — were not asked to plead when they appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Monday last week, but were remanded out of custody to August 17 this year for trial on $20 bail each.
Allegations against the five were that on June 27 this year, the current Nehanda Housing Co-operative Society executive members — Never Kowo, Keri Mhute, Andrew Marauka, Charles Matapo and Jotamu Nkala — approached the High Court seeking an interdict against the accused persons barring them from representing the co-operative.
High Court judge Justice Owen Tagu ruled in the applicants’ favour and granted them an interim relief.
“Pending finalisation of this provisional order, the first to the fifth respondents be and are hereby interdicted, barred and restrained from holding any meetings for the purpose of running or deliberating on the management/or affairs of the applicant,” Justice Tagu ruled.
But despite the existence of the said court order, on July 11 this year, Nyengeterai, Hove, Hamamuti, Moyo and Gutu allegedly held a meeting at Nehanda Housing Co-operative premises in defiance of the provisional court order leading to their arrest. In the criminal matter, Nehanda Housing Co-operative is being represented by Matapo and Nkala.
