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Tendai Gukutikwa

Mutare Bureau

THE demolition of buildings at Knowstics Academy Girls School in Mutasa district of Manicaland last week has left parents, learners and teachers stranded ahead of the reopening of boarding schools today. 

Armed with an excavator, and allegedly working on orders from the school co-directors, Mr William Mukuwapasi and Mrs Edith Mukuwapasi, hired hands stripped buildings of roofs, windows and doors, and were even breaking down walls to grab the bricks, resulting in a lot of destruction and confusion. 

Buildings that once stood proudly — from dormitories to classrooms, staff houses and dining rooms — were all destroyed in less than an hour as the excavator demolished everything in its path, leaving mounds of rubble and debris. 

Lorries and pick-up trucks could be seen leaving the school premises with furniture from the dormitories and classrooms on their way to Knowstics Academy Boys School, which is a few kilometres from the girls’ school. 

The premises had a sub-station that the tenants had reportedly built. But it was uprooted, along with the electricity poles.

The farm on which the school was operating belongs to Manicaland Development Association which has already taken the urgent matter to court as destroying the property is against the two parties’ lease agreement. 

Willedit Investments Pvt Ltd, trading as Knowstics Academy, entered into a written lease agreement with MDA in 2008. 

It was agreed that the education company would occupy and use Herbert Chitepo Farm as a school. It was also agreed that upon vacation, all new buildings would automatically become MDA’s property. When Knowstics moved onto the property in February 2009, there was a 27-roomed dormitory complex, six staff houses, an administration block, metal and dress-making blocks, a warehouse and beerhall buildings. 

Knowstics went ahead and built a dining room, classroom blocks, hostels, staff quarters and a crèche. Now, following the recent fall-out, Knowstics destroyed most of the new buildings they built and removed roofing from the old buildings. They also destroyed some of the buildings they had renovated. The lease agreement stipulates that: “All newly constructed buildings and other facilities will be at lessee’s cost and will become MDA property on termination of agreement. MDA will not refund Knowstics Academy all its capital expenditure on construction of new buildings, other constructed facilities and renovations at the learning centre.” 

This has resulted in MDA making an urgent chamber application for an interdict which seeks to stop Knowstics Academy from removing, damaging, stripping and generally interfering with the buildings and immovable structures at the farm. MDA is being represented by Mr Chris Ndlovu of Gonese and Ndlovu Legal Practitioners. 

The dispute erupted between the parties as the school was materially breaching the lease agreement by failing to pay rentals on time. The dispute culminated in MDA issuing summons for the eviction of the school, payment of rental arrears and holdover damages. 

“The matter was filed at Mutare High Court where the school defended the summons and filed a counter-claim demanding and claiming what they termed improvements they had effected on the farm during their tenancy. The school however, later agreed to vacate the farm and it was expected to vacate on Wednesday. 

“However, two days prior to their vacating the premises, Knowstics Academy started stripping the buildings at the farm of their roofing material, leaving the roofing timber exposed. They also removed plumbing and electrical installations and materials. They are literally stripping the place bare,” reads the application. 

It is also stated that Knowstics Academy is destroying some of the buildings, harvesting the bricks, window frames and usable door frames. 

“They have no legal or legitimate cause to act in the manner they did or are doing. There is irreparable harm. The stripping of the buildings and structures has obvious structural implications and damages that are too ghastly to contemplate,” reads the application. 

The application also states that the two parties had agreed that Knowstics Academy would leave the farm buildings in good usable order. 

MDA is seeking that the interdict be granted urgently since it seems Knowstics Academy is bent on inflicting serious structural damages to the buildings and structures before they vacate the farm. Knowstics also has a pending counter-claim before the courts for compensation of damages for the improvements they made on the farm. Prior to them settling to vacate the premises, the school had been sued for rental arrears after they had failed to pay rent for August, September and October of 2021. The school was paying US$5 000 per month as rent. After a court settlement, they paid the rent arrears and interests which were more than US$60 000 or the equivalent in local currency. Mrs Mukuwapasi declined to comment and hung up her phone. Subsequent attempts to contact her were unsuccessful as she did not answer the phone.