Lawyer risks censor for unprofessional conduct

A LOCAL company Quicklink Investments has lodged a complaint with the Law Society of Zimbabwe against lawyer Norman Mugiya over allegations of unprofessional conduct.

Quicklink claim that Mugiya, who is representing Cligel mining syndicate director Cynthia Maadza in a mining dispute, has been instructing his client to ignore court orders.

The case emanated from a longstanding protracted dispute at the High Court between Quicklink Investments and Cligel Mining Syndicate.

“After several deliberations between Quicklink and Cligel, the parties chose to settle and a Deed of Settlement was drawn by the legal practitioners of record. This was later handed down as a Consent Order by Honourable Justice Philda Muzofa on June 10, 2021,” Quicklink wrote.

“This consent order is still to be complied with. This then forced Quicklink to institute Contempt of Court proceedings against Cligel and Maadza. It has come to my attention that Maadza and Cligel are disputing to have had knowledge of this court order yet her lawyer, Mugiya appeared before Honourable Muzofa J and consented to the order.”

The company said Maadza has distanced herself from the Consent Order. “If the allegations by Maadza are true, then this is dishonourable conduct which is unworthy of a member of your profession,” the company submitted.

“Members of the legal profession should not be a law unto themselves. They should assist litigants towards the ends of justice. Instead, it appears that Mugiya is doing the opposite. He has clearly abdicated from his role as an officer of the court and is now in cahoots with his client, if not an accomplice.”

The company wants the LSZ to probe Mugiya’s conduct.