Prisons boss Zimondi dragged to court

Comment & Analysis
BY NQABA MATSHAZI PRISONS boss, Paradzai Zimondi has been sucked into an ownership wrangle over a conservancy in Kariba, amid allegations that he was benefitting financially, despite not being a director or a shareholder.

A retired army colonel, Thomas Ngwenya claims that Zimondi and other directors of the conservancy, Wesango Safaries, conspired to have him removed from the list of directors and this has seen him being prejudiced of dividends since 2004.

In papers filed before the Bulawayo High Court, Ngwenya accuses the Zimbabwe Prison Service (ZPS)  boss of chairing a meeting in October 2009, where a resolution was passed to recapitalise the company that runs the conservancy, an agreement which he says is a nullity and void.

Also cited in the court papers are the other directors, Agnes and Epmarcus Kanhanga, Richard Chingombe and the Registrar of Companies, in a suit where Ngwenya is demanding US$10 000.

Chingombe is an heir to the estate of Amos Chingombe and Ngwenya charges that his appointment was unprocedural. The defendants have since entered a notice to defend.

Ngwenya, who holds a quarter of the shareholding, says he has not received a dividend for 2004 to 2009 and only received a Mazda twin cab in 2008 as part of the dividend of that year.

The former military man says he was unprocedurally removed from the director’s list and this had seen him being prejudiced of an income, despite trying to solve this, he says, he was forced to approach the courts, as he had not met any joy.

In this regard, Ngwenya wanted the court to have his directorship restored and that the Registrar of Companies be compelled to include his name in the list of directors. He also sought to have the appointment of Chingombe as a director to be rescinded, as the meeting that named him was unprocedural and therefore, illegal.

Ngwenya also sought to compel the other directors to release management accounts, bank statements, financial statements, minute books and annual returns from 2005 to 2010.