THE Law Society of Zimbabwe has de-registered two prominent Bulawayo lawyers, Russel Dzete (34) and Tonderai Mukuku, and warned the public against enlisting the services of the two disgraced lawyers.
BY SILAS NKALA
Dzete — who was employed by Marondedze, Mukuku and Partners Law firm in Bulawayo — together with his accomplices Austin Moyo and Cavan Maibvise, were convicted by Bulawayo regional magistrate Joseph Mabeza of defrauding a home seeker of over $13 000 in March this year. They were sentenced to two years each in prison, which was wholly suspended on condition that they restituted Noria Kairezi $6 340. They were also ordered to pay $700 fine each with an option of eight months in prison if they failed.
In a statement yesterday, LSZ executive secretary Edward Mapara confirmed the duo’s de-registration.
“The LSZ would like to notify the public that the following persons were de-registered by the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal (LPDT) sitting at Harare on Tuesday December 4, 2018,” Mapara said.
He said Dzete and Mukuku were no longer registered lawyers.
“The LSZ would like to advise the public to desist from dealing with all non-registered lawyers. The law society will not be responsible for any loss or prejudice arising out of the conduct of the de-registered lawyers as these no longer fall under its jurisdiction,” Mapara said.
He said members of the public were urged to periodically check the updated list of de-registered members from the LSZ website.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
While employed at Marondedze, Mukuku and Partners – which has since been placed under curatorship – in November 2015, the two connived with Moyo and Maibvise to defraud Kairezi and her late husband of $13 000 in a botched residential stand deal in Bulawayo’s Selbourne Park suburb.
Dzete is also facing another fraud case in which he alleged teamed up with Moyo, Binary Mkandla, Edmund Makonese and Simangaliso Muringi and defrauded three homeseekers of $38 600 and R60 000 after they sold them non-existent stands last year.
Meanwhile, Mukuku lost his practicing licence after Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Martin Makonese ordered that Marondedze, Mukuku and Partners be placed under curatorship and suspended Mukuku from practising after the LSZ blacklisted him for misconduct.
The ruling by Makonese came after LSZ filed an urgent chamber application seeking an order to have the law firm placed under curatorship.
LSZ alleged that Mukuku abandoned his offices, leaving the law firm in the hands of his assistants who did not possess practising certificates.
