MANICALAND Provincial Affairs minister Mandiitawepi Chimene has paid the $429 debt, which had become the subject of a court action by a Mutare-based wholesaler.
BY BLESSED MHLANGA
Nayee Brothers (Private) Ltd had filed summons against the minister, claiming that sometime last year, she directed the company to distribute building materials for the construction of Mukowe Bridge in Buhera, promising to pay later.
“The defendant (Chimene) wrote a letter to the plaintiff on November 5, 2015 in her official capacity as the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs, requesting the plaintiff to give a member from the District Development Fund (DDF) 22 lengths of deformed bars, which were 20mm thick, for the purposes of Mukowe Bridge construction in Buhera,’’ part of the summons filed by the wholesaler’s lawyers, Maunga Maanda and Associates, reads.
“The defendant (Chimene) undertook the responsibility to pay the plaintiff the sum of $429 for the 22x20mm deformed bars. The plaintiff delivered the deformed bars to the rural district council at the instruction of the defendant.” Chimene said she had since paid the debt, although she was not responsible for borrowing from the company.
“That was not my debt. I only acted as minister in asking Nayee Brothers to supply the deformed bars to DDF so that they could fix the bridge and pay the money once they got their budget,” she said.
Chimene said she settled the debt after receiving summons.
“I called them to my office and asked why they had gone to court without talking to me about the debt. During that meeting, I took my handbag and paid them. You think I can’t pay $400? Do you know how much I earn?” she retorted.
