INFORMATION ministry deputy minister, Energy Mutodi’s struggling company National Housing Development Trust (NHDT), risks having its bank accounts garnished after failing to settle a RTGS$40 000 debt owed to its former employee, Reason Sibanda.
Sibanda has petitioned the High Court to order its Sheriff to execute his powers and attach one of NHDT’s properties after the company disobeyed a court order instructing the settling of the debt last month.
However, Sibanda has since realised the NHDT does not have an assets of value and the ex-employee now wants Mutodi’s company bank accounts garnished.
NHDT was cited as the first respondent while the Civil Service Commission is the second respondent.
The third respondent in the application is The Paymaster-Salary Service Bureau which is responsible for processing salaries and benefits for NHDT members while the High Court Sheriff was cited as the fourth respondent.
“I obtained a Labour Court order under case number LC/H/APP/789/18 against the first respondent in which it was ordered to pay me a total of RTGS$40 000
“However, the said judgment registering the arbitral award is still unsatisfied in the amount of RTGS$40 000. I now wish to instruct the first respondent’s property to raise the amount stated in the writ of execution and ensure that the judgment is satisfied,” Sibanda wrote.
“However, the first respondent has no known assets of value and no assets which are able to satisfy the amount stated in the writ of execution of RTGS$40 000.”
In light of this Sibanda suggested that NHDT’s bank account be garnished.
“It follows that any such funds as are held and to be held by the garnishee on behalf of the first respondent should be attached to ensure that the applicant is not prejudiced as the first respondent has no other known assets of value that can satisfy the registered arbitrary award.
“I am therefore left with no option but to approach this Honourable Court for relief and make an application for garnishee order against the first the first respondent’s money held in its bank accounts with the garnishee,” he said.
Owned by Mutodi, NHDT is a housing company which receives subscriptions from its members through the Civil Service Commission’s Salary Services Bureau each month.
The money is deposited direct into NHDT‘s bank accounts. – NewsZim
