adminLeonard Ncube Court Reporter
THE late prominent Bulawayo businessman and socialite Nhamo Rusamo, who died a fortnight ago, did not only leave behind a wife and three children, but a huge debt as well.Rusamo, 47, left his sweetheart, Helen, burdened with a $15,000 debt which is now haunting her. She now faces arrest over the money that should have been paid last year.
According to an application for civil imprisonment made by First Capital at the High Court in Bulawayo, the Rusamos applied for and obtained a loan from First Capital, a money-lending institution but failed to pay back the money. The loan was due starting January 1, 2012.
The money was to be paid at an interest rate of 15 percent per annum between January and April last year and five percent per annum thereafter to date of full payment.
This means that Nhamo’s widow will have to pay more with interest. First Capital (Pvt) Limited applied for an order for civil imprisonment of the Rusamos, summons of which were sent before Nhamo died.
The institution initially obtained a court order compelling the couple to pay the money in September this year, failure to which it was supposed to appear in court to show cause why it failed.
There was also a writ to attach property to recover the money on November 26, 2013, but the institution found no attachable goods.
The Rusamos live along Burnside Road in Burnside and used to run Rutz Medical Supplies, where no attachable goods could be found, prompting the application for imprisonment.
Now that Nhamo is late, Helen would be compelled to honour her husband’s debts. According to the recent order, she should show cause why imprisonment should not be made on account of failure to pay the money.
The court ordered her to bring “evidence of financial position, evidence of income from wages and salaries or other earnings and any other income you may be receiving from any other source.”
The court would make an inquiry into the financial position of the Rusamos business to establish whether there are prospects of it paying back the money.
Rusamo, died at Mpilo Central Hospital after succumbing to injuries he sustained when he was involved in an accident nearly three months ago.
He was a former junior football administrator and once owned a soccer team, Rutz Celtics FC that graduated from Zifa Division Three to Division One.
Born in Epworth, near Harare, Rusamo was also a former patron of the Dynamos Supporters Association, Bulawayo chapter.
He was buried at West Park Cemetery.
Online Reporter