By Judith Nyuke
The Chitungwiza Magistrates’ Court has ordered a Chitungwiza man to vacate a commercial property he had occupied rent-free for two years.
In 2023, Ms. Resika Mapfinya leased the property at Stand 119 & 120 Manyame Rural District, Home Industry, Seke, Chitungwiza to Reverend Musiyiwa Nyandoro.
According to court papers, he has not paid any rent since taking occupation of the premises.
Instead of paying rent, Nyandoro used the property to build what Ms. Mapfinya’s lawyer called a “state-of-the-art surgery.”
During the trial, Reverend Nyandoro informed the court that he planned to begin paying rent only after completing construction of the surgery and meeting the standards of the Health Professions Authority of Zimbabwe. He further stated that even if it took him 40 years to meet those standards, he would still not pay rent.
In a judgment handed down on Friday, Magistrate Mangwiro ruled that Reverend Nyandoro’s behavior was “unreasonable and unacceptable,” emphasising that leasing a commercial property comes with clear responsibilities and that one cannot develop and occupy a space for years without paying rent.
The court ordered Reverend Nyandoro to vacate the premises, pay arrear rentals, and also pay holding over damages for the time he overstayed after the lease had effectively been breached.
Ms. Resika Mapfinya, the property owner, was represented in court by her lawyer, Mr. Scott Mamimine.
