HARARE – Morgan Tsvangirai’s estate faces a US$205,000 claim from a political consultant for work he says he carried out for the late Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) leader in the run-up to the 2013 national elections.
Moreprecision Muzadzi claims in a High Court filing that he was awarded US$84,800 by Justice Owen Tagu on October 4, 2017, after Tsvangirai – who died in February 2018 – failed to pay him for his services.
Following Tsvangirai’s death, Muzadzi says he approached his brother Manasa who undertook to settle the award amount as well as give him a Nissan NP200. He claims as part of his agreement with Manasa on April 9 this year, Tsvangirai’s brother had also promised to settle a further claim of US$120,000 for “breach of contract, perjury and libel.”
“Manasa, after failing to get anything from his sources, insisted that the estate has money but there were underhand efforts to hide property that should be on the inventory and prejudice the children,” Muzadzi says in an affidavit.
Muzadzi, citing Tsvangirai’s estate executors Innocent Chagonda and Charles Maunga together with Morgan Komichi, is now seeking an order to execute the 2017 judgment.
He has identified Tsvangirai’s Strathaven house in Harare as the property to execute the judgement against.
He pleads: “Section 85 of the Zimbabwe Constitution says the court, while observing the rules of natural justice, must not be unreasonably restricted by procedural technicalities. Plaintiff (Muzadzi) therefore asks the court to grant judgment according to offer and according to rule 148.”
Initially Muzadzi filed the summons on May 3, 2018, citing Tsvangirai and Komichi as respondents and claiming $204,800 for his services from the two men. In the current application, Muzadzi cited the late Tsvangirai’s estate executors Innocent Chagonda and Charles Maunga.
The matter is pending.
Muzadzi said he successfully represented Tsvangirai in the coalition negotiations with opposition leaders Simba Makoni (MKD), the late Dumiso Dabengwa (ZAPU), Margret Dongo (ZUD) and 15 others to support him as the opposition candidate.
He further said he together with his partner, Kisinote Mukwazhe, organised meetings and during the course of their assignment met a diplomat from the Royal Norwegian Embassy, First Secretary Henrik Lunden, Australian Ambassador Mathew Nuehaus and his first secretary, Shane Flanagan, US Embassy officials, EU head of delegation Aldo Dell’Ariccia and EU political counsellor Giles Anticknap.
In alleged breach of the said agreement, however, Tsvangirai and his colleagues are said to have reneged on their promise to pay but instead unleashed some people who then attacked Muzadzi and Mukwazhe when they visited Tsvangirai’s residence in Highlands to collect their dues.
