THE Bulawayo High Court has ordered the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) to pay its outstanding rental arrears of $13 100 for its rented premises at the Forestry Commission Building in the city.
BY SILAS NKALA
The matter went to court in September this year after CDS allegedly neglected to pay its rental obligations. Justice Martin Makonese on December 7 ordered CDS to pay $13 112,29 and interest at a prescribed rate from August 31 2016 to date of final payment.
“The defendant be and is, hereby, ordered to pay holdover damages at the rate of $24,49 per day with effect from September 1 to the date of their vacation of the leased premises. The defendant be is, hereby, evicted from third floor of number 71A Fife Street, Bulawayo, within five days of the granting of this order. The defendant shall bear the costs on an attorney-client scale,” he ruled.
In its summons, the Forestry Commission demanded payment of $6 938,75 being arrears of rentals with interest for the rented premises.
The commission also demanded payment of maintenance and operating costs at a rate of $6 173,54, together with interest incurred for the rented property.
Forestry Commission prayed for an eviction order for its tenant for breach of contract.
In its declaration of the claim, the Forestry Commission submitted that on July 11, 2014, it offered its premises to the CDS for a rental fee of $734,80 per month.
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The parties also agreed that the CDS would pay maintenance fees and related operational costs.
The Forestry Commission submitted that CDS failed to pay, as agreed and accumulated a debt of $13 112,29.
