The fight between Hurungwe West MP Temba Mliswa and businessman, Conrad Billie Rautenbach has taken a new twist with the Zanu PF Mashonaland West chairman filing a US$15 million defamatory suit against the Green Fuels founder.
BY OUR STAFF
Mliswa said Rautenbach recently branded him an “extortionist” in a local daily newspaper.
In a letter to Rautenbach through his legal counsel Jonathan Samkange, Mliswa said the statement had deeply embarrassed and humiliated him.
Dated April 3 and addressed to Rautenbach, the letter stated that Mliswa was demanding US$15 million as payment for the “damages” to his defamed character.
“Unless we hear from you as to how you intend to settle our client’s claim by no later that noon the April 10, summons will be issued against you without any further warning,” reads the letter.
“It is clear from the article that you intended to injure our client’s reputation. Our client is a businessman, politician and socialist, well known both in and out of Zimbabwe,” wrote Samkange.
“The article was widely read both in the print and electronic media making it accessible throughout the world. This has brought embarrassment and humiliation to our client, family and friend.”
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The said article quoted Rautenbach claiming that the Zanu PF provincial chairman had demanded at least US$165 million for helping the businessman secure the Chisumbanje ethanol deal, Unki Platinum Mine and Hwange Colliery investments.
“He approached us in the capacity of an investment consultant, but when we realised that he was not sincere in his approach to business and had extortionist tendencies, we immediately cut ties with him and directed all communication through our lawyers. His submissions pertaining to our various projects are baseless falsehoods,” Mr Rautenbach said.
The spat between the two spiraled out of control as they both traded insults and Mliswa called a press conference at which he accused Rautenbach of using national resources to enrich himself.
Mliswa denied any wrong doing and said his dealings were above board and accused the businessman of insincerity and using money to victimise him after reneging on earlier “business” agreement.
Explaining the US$165 million, Mliswa said it was shareholding and consultancy fees for linking Rautenbach up with influential government officials to facilitate his acquisition of Hwange, Unki and Chisumbanje deals.
“I took him to every high-ranking official he knows today in Government. I was part and parcel of it. He said my shares cannot be made public because I am a Zanu-PF politician and he will not get funding. He used to pay me. He has stopped and I took the legal route,” he said.
The spat between the two has sucked in Media, Information and broadcasting minister, Professor Jonathan Moyo who censured the firebrand politician for his outbursts.
