HRT wants CoH fined ZW$200 000 for contempt of court

The Harare Residents Trust (HRT) has petitioned the High Court seeking it to slap City of Harare (CoH) with a fine amounting to ZWL200 000 for contempt of court unless the local authority purges its contempt within 48 hours of the granting of the court order.

This follows a court application by the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR) on behalf of HRT, against City of Harare, Local Government Minister July Moyo, Minister Primary and Secondary Education Cain Mathema and Police Commissioner-General Godwin Matanga seeking an order declaring them to be in contempt of court.

This was allegedly for willfully disregarding a High Court order issued by Justice Tawanda Chitapi in May by allowing developments to take place on 2 stands where HRT would like government to establish a public primary school in Tynwald high density suburb.

“We took action after noting some developments taking place on the 2 stands in violation of a court order barring CoH, Local Government Minister & Minister of Primary and Secondary Education from allowing any development on the 2 stands to take place,” said ZLHR on behalf of HRT.

HRT also said it wanted CoH and Zimbabwe Republic Police to immediately take enforcement action to suspend developments on the 2 stands.

Zwnews