adminAlthough they had removed their property and equipment from the front of the building, some of them especially those doing hairdressing, were yesterday afternoon milling in front of the building and attending to clients on the pavement.
The owners of Victoria House had already started demolishing the building for renovations as window frames and doorframes had been removed while the walls were being brought down.
Workmen, who said they were from Mafutha Construction Company, were busy demolishing the walls while others were digging on the pavement to erect a safety enclosure before renovations start.
The building belongs to Mr Jateen Madhoo, of Arjun Investments, who bought it from a local businessman.
The tenants, who were doing different kinds of business, had been refusing to vacate the building despite efforts to force them out.
Mr Madhoo, through his lawyer, Mr Lesley Sibanda of Webb Low and Barry, incorporating Ben Baron and Partners obtained a Court Order to evict all the 70 tenants last year, but failed to evict them on six occasions.
The first ruling was done by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Maphios Cheda, Case Number HC379/11 early last year and was upheld by Justice Nicholas Ndou in September.
The tenants, represented by Mudenda Attorneys, challenged the court ruling, arguing they were illegally being evicted.
The chairman of Victoria House Association, Mr Thomas Mutambirwa, said the development had rendered them jobless and would lead to an increase in crime and prostitution.
“People are stranded now and that is bad for the indigenisation programme when the Government wants everyone to be empowered,” he said.
“This is like coming back home and finding your house burnt down and you have to start thinking of ways of replacing property and earning a living. We kindly ask the Government and Zanu-PF to assist because this is where people were earning a living.”
Mr Mutambirwa said they feared the owners of the building would not allow them back because of the “fight” they had.
He said they did not invade the building but were refusing to vacate by right of being sitting occupants as some of them had been operating from there for more than 30 years and could not have been evicted through an Urgent Court Order.
The court had ruled that Mr Madhoo had the right to remove the tenants from his property and authorised the Deputy Sheriff to remove them and lock the premises at the expiry of a notice. The last notice was given in December last year.
Online Reporter