Crimes and Courts
BULAWAYO – Josiah Mutangi, a Zanu-PF councillor for Ward 1 in Bulawayo, has spent nearly a month in prison after repeatedly defying court orders to vacate a disputed farmhouse in Umguza district, Matabeleland North.
Mutangi was jailed last month after a civil warrant of arrest was issued against him for contempt of court. He has been illegally occupying Imbesu Farm, owned by Zephaniah Matiwaza, since July 2022 without paying rent, despite several eviction attempts and legal rulings nullifying his lease.
According to court documents, the embattled councillor has now approached Matiwaza to negotiate his release from prison. A draft deed of settlement filed at the courts shows Mutangi has applied for an extension of time to pay and a suspension of the civil imprisonment order.
Under the proposed agreement, Mutangi must pay Matiwaza US$1,000 upon signing the deed of settlement and clear the full judgment debt, including legal costs and execution fees, by December 2025. Payments are to be made through Matiwaza’s lawyers, Messrs Ndlovu Mehluli and Partners.
Matiwaza, who first secured a court order for Mutangi’s eviction and repayment of arrears in November 2022, confirmed the new arrangement.
“My lawyers are working on that,” Matiwaza stated.
“I have been receiving a lot of pleas from Mutangi and his wife asking me to facilitate his release.”
The settlement also stipulates that if Mutangi breaches the agreement, Matiwaza will be entitled to enforce the court orders without opposition after giving seven days’ notice.
Mutangi’s legal troubles extend beyond the farm dispute. Two weeks ago, he appeared in court alongside Janet Zhou, accused of defrauding 14 vendors by allegedly collecting US$200 each under the pretext of allocating vending bays in Bulawayo’s central business district.
The case highlights growing tensions between political influence and the rule of law, as Mutangi’s continued defiance of court orders has drawn scrutiny from both the judiciary and the public.
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