Harare High Court judge Justice Clement Phiri has ordered the Ministry of Finance to garnish the account of Obert Mpofu’s Ministry of Home Affairs in order to compensate Mutare businessman Tendai Blessing Mangwiro.
This comes after the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) seized US$1.5 million cash belonging to Mangwiro in 2008, but failed to reimburse the money when Mangwiro was acquitted of all criminal charges.
Justice Phiri also ruled that Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa should be charged with contempt of court if he fails to follow the court order.
In making his ruling, Justice Phiri said,
The application for the garnish order is hereby granted. The second and third respondents (Chinamasa and secretary and paymaster-general) are hereby ordered to garnishee first respondent’s (Home Affairs’) vote remaining under 2017 budget (Appropriation Act) together with all the monies which are State funds but currently and continuously being retained by first respondent’s various departments under his Ministry of Home Affairs to settle the following court orders HC4766/13 of February 2015 and HC466/13 of August 17, 2016 together with the Sheriff’s costs and to forthwith transfer the same moneys into the bank account of the Sheriff.
Should the same not satisfy the court orders granted under case number HC466/13 and the Sheriff’s costs, the first respondent’s future 2018 budget allocation vote be and is hereby garnished in order to satisfy the above-mentioned court orders.
Mangwiro has been fighting to reclaim his money and at one point former minister of Home Affairs Ignatius Chombo was given a 90-day jail term for defying the court order.
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