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Herald Reporter
Harare businessman Stanley Kasukuwere yesterday got a sigh of relief when a Harare Civil Court magistrate dismissed an application for eviction pending appeal that was filed by his landlord. The magistrate Mr Brighton Pabwe dismissed an application for eviction pending appeal by Mr Samuel Mukarakate who had earlier on won an eviction order against Kasukuwere on November 13 before he filed an appeal on November 15. He argued that Kasukuwere was not paying rentals and electricity bills totalling to US$9 500 at his house number 259 Folyjon Crescent in Glen Lorne, Harare.

According to papers filed under case number 16487/13, Kasukuwere owes Zesa US$5 000 accrued during his stay at the house which he rented from Mr Mukarakate. Mr Mukarakate is also demanding US$4 500 in rentals which he alleges Kasukuwere did not pay during the period of his stay.

He is claiming a further US$50 per day in holding over damages reckoned from January 1, 2013 to the date of eviction from Stanley.  Mr Mukarakate claims he entered into a lease agreement with Kasukuwere to lease the house through Ascua Properties in March 2012.

“We agreed that he pays US$1 500 per month before he occupied the house on March 1, 2012. He defaulted on rentals as from October 2012 and refused or neglected to pay despite various demands,” he said.

Kasukuwere, who was represented by Mr Charles Chinyama, is denying the allegations.
“I do not owe the amounts in question and the rentals were paid in a way that defied logic as I would sometimes be asked to pay through Ascua Properties and sometimes directly into his bank account. Sometimes relatives would be asked to collect the money and I am filing a counter claim for improvements done on the house,” he said.

Kasukuwere said sometimes he would pay the money through his Bosstan Trucking company.