Former Vic Falls director faces eviction

THE Victoria Falls Municipality (VFM) has dragged former housing and community services director, Mr Lot Syatimbula, to court seeking an order to evict him from a council house.

Mr Syatimbula was fired by the local authority more than a year ago after he allocated a housing stand to his nephew without council approval.

He was convicted at the Victoria Falls Magistrate’s Court for criminal abuse of office and fined $500 and in addition sentenced to a wholly suspended 12 months jail.

e council then gave Mr Syatimbula two months notice to vacate a house he had been allocated but the former director has allegedly refused to move out of the house saying his former paymasters should first pay him his outstanding terminal benefits amounting to more than $30 000.

The case was briefly heard at a pre-trial conference at the Victoria Falls Civil Court last week and was rolled over to today where full proceedings are set to begin.

The Municipality, through its lawyer Mr Thulani Nkala of Dube and Company is seeking an order to evict Mr Syatimbula, who is the defendant, and his family from house number 484 Jakaranda Drive, in Victoria Falls.

“The plaintiff is also seeking holding over damages of $700 per month from 31 October 2017 to date of vacation and undisturbed possession of the premises, failure to which the Messenger of Court be and is hereby empowered to immediately and forthwith evict them with assistance of police,” said the Municipality in its summons to Mr Syatimbula.

Mr Syatimbula served as housing and community services director between September 1, 2010 and March 31, 2017.

Through his lawyer, Mr Zibuziso Ncube of Ncube and Company, assisted by Mr Givemore Mvhiringi of Mvhiringi and Partners, Mr Syatimbula has argued that he would remain in the house until he is paid outstanding monies after being unlawfully dismissed from work.

“The defendant’s contract was terminated unlawfully and that is under challenge. The defendant remains in occupation as plaintiff undertook to make consultations over money it owes the defendant and until such a time that the consultations are complete, the defendant has a legal expectation that the status quo shall be retained, in fact the plaintiff is stopped from making this claim,” said Mr Syatimbula through his legal team.

He argues that there is no basis whatsoever for the council to make the claim to seek his eviction as it owes him more than $30 000.—@ncubeleon