High Court throws out second bid by Zanu PF chef to evict Ncube’s mother

By Lance Guma
16 March 2006

The High Court on Thursday threw out a second bid by former Zanu PF provincial chairman, Jacob Mudenda to evict media mogul Trevor Ncube’s mother from her house in Bulawayo. Mudenda had sought to win the eviction via an associate, Peter Steven Williams who allegedly acted as a front in the application. The property, estimated at
Z$1 billion, is registered under Kroutz Investments (Pvt) Ltd, a company owned by Ncube. He bought the house specifically for his mother and two nephews.

When SW Radio Africa first reported the matter the magistrate’s courts had thrown it out on a technicality. The reason was that the property value exceeded their jurisdiction. Justice Nicholas Ndou sitting in the Bulawayo High Court then ruled that the application for an eviction was without merit. Mudenda’s involvement raised eyebrows since he is a lawyer with T. Hara & Partners the law firm that championed the application. He was cited in court documents as having had an alleged interest in the property.

Around March 2005 Mudenda tried to buy the house but could not raise the money demanded. His plan was to rent it out to foreign students attending the National University of Science and Technology. Ncube however offered Z$820 million which was accepted and the sale went through mid July 2005. Evidence of Mudenda’s scheming quickly gathered after he sent a driver from his Inyati Hunters company to go and serve the summons on a third party in the case.

Blowing his cover further was that the summons served on Ncube’s mother were copied to Mudenda himself and not his law firm, T.Hara and Partners. Ncube’s brother Davison told us that Zanu PF should discipline Mudenda for embarrassing the party. He also believes the law firm acted improperly in seeking to evict an innocent old lady using fraudulently acquired documents.

In 2002 Mudenda was reportedly involved in the recruitment of youth militia (green bombers) in Matebeleland North. In 2004 he was one of six Zanu PF Chairpersons who attended the Tsholotsho meeting allegedly organised by Professor Jonathan Moyo. He has also been reported in various media as being involved in illegal safari hunting.