HARARE: The chickens are sprinting home to roost for top Zanu PF officials recently ejected from the party and government for allegedly plotting to oust the 91-year-old President Robert Mugabe.
Property worth thousands of dollars was seized from former Zanu PF legislator and provincial chairman, Temba Mliswa’s farm after he allegedly failed to repay a $2.7 million loan from the Commercial Bank of Zimbabwe (CBZ).
Government is the majority shareholder in CBZ Holdings, directly controlling (as at Jan. 1, 2015) 16 percent of the shares and another 10 percent through the State-owned National Social Security Authority (NSSA).
The development comes after local media reported that Amos Midzi – a former cabinet minister and Zanu PF Harare chairman – who committed suicide earlier this month was also overwhelmed by debt.
Midzi was suspended from the ruling party for allegedly backing the claimed coup attempt by former vice president Joice Mujuru and creditors – anxious at his fall off the gravy train – were said to be starting to repeatedly knock at his door, demanding their dues.
Again, a prominent local banker, Tawanda Nyambirai, has also gone to court to reclaim three farms allegedly seized from him by Mujuru and her late husband.
Nyambirai conceded that he was acting because felt Mujuru was now vulnerable and so could be challenged, having been axed from her powerful positions as both ruling party and State vice president.
Mliswa was also kicked out of Zanu PF over the alleged coup attempt. He has been one of the most vocal of the group, regularly criticising the party and unsuccessfully trying to reclaim his Hurungwe West parliamentary seat as an independent.
On Monday the deputy sheriff visited his Spring Farm in Karoi over the CBZ debt which is said to have now increased to $3,5 million including costs and interest.
The sheriff attached property which included household furniture, gym equipment, generators, hammer mills, ploughs, cultivators, irrigation pipes, trailers, roam discs, compressors was attached.
Also seized were vehicles including a Nissan Patrol, Mazda T35 truck and tractors along with 180 head of cattle.
A writ of execution directing attachment of the movable property from Saltlakes Holdings and Mliswa on 13 January, 2015 under case No 8835/14 was issued.
This followed a default judgment by Justice Mawadze on December 16, 2014 at the High Court ordering recovery of the $2 745 092,72 and costs of the suit. The case was referred to the deputy sheriff responsible for Karoi on June 26.
The deputy sheriff, Stewart Sibanda Magudze, confirmed the seizure to The Herald. “We made an attachment of an assortment of goods and equipment as directed by the High Court order issued on 13 January 2015,” he said.
