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Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
The High Court has ordered a Harare businesswoman Ms Patience Chivasa to pay back $22 000 owed to Sebenzisa Marketing and Media Communications.
Ms Chivasa allegedly approached Sebenzisa and placed an order for the printing of Zanu-PF T-shirts and other party regalia worth $2 046 ahead of the executive Women’s League Conference in 2014.
The woman, the lawyers argued, received the money from Zanu-PF but converted it to personal use.
She also approached the same company and promised to secure contracts for the supply of corporate wear for companies like Unilever, National Blankets, Colcom, Delta and Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority.
The woman asked for $20 000 from Sebenzisa saying it was required for her operations in securing the business contracts in question.
Sebenzisa lost $22 046 to Ms Chivasa and nothing was recovered.
The company, through its lawyer Mr Everson Samukange of Venturas and Samukange, issued summons at the High Court claiming $22 046 plus interest.
Justice Felistus Chatukuta last week issued a default judgment and ordered Ms Chivasa to pay up the debt.
The woman will also pay interest on the $22 046 as well as legal costs of the suit.
Sebenzisa stated in the summons that Ms Chivasa had defrauded the company through misrepresentation.
The company argued that Ms Chivasa received payment for the party regalia from Zanu-PF headquarters but did not forward it to Sebenzisa.
It was also argued that Ms Chivasa received $20 000 from the company well knowing that she was not going to secure any of the promised contracts.
In a defendant’s plea prepared by Rubaya and Chatambudza Legal Practitioners, Ms Chivasa denied ever receiving the sum of $2 046 for the party regalia as alleged.
She also denied ever fraudulently misrepresenting to Sebenzisa about the $20 000.
Instead, Ms Chivasa claimed she was a principal partner of the company and that the $20 000 was part of her advance payment deductible from her commission accruing from various business ventures.
She accused Sebenzisa of twisting facts and portraying her as a fraudster.
Online Reporter