Mashudu Netsianda, Senior Court Reporter
THE High Court has ordered Kingstons Holdings to immediately vacate its rented premises at Bulawayo Centre where it operated a bookshop over a $31, 000 rent debt.
The ruling by Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Nokuthula Moyo follows an application for a default judgment by the National Railways of Zimbabwe (NRZ) Contributory Pension Fund, the owners of the premises where Kingstons Holdings operated a bookshop, Textbook Sales (Pvt) Ltd.
In the papers before the courts, NRZ Contributory Pension Fund is the plaintiff while Kingstons Holdings and Textbook Sales were cited as the defendants.
NRZ Contributory Pension Fund and Kingstons Holdings have been locked in a protracted wrangle since April last year. The dispute resulted in the pension fund cancelling the lease agreement.
“It’s ordered that the lease agreement between plaintiff and defendants be and is hereby cancelled. An order directing the defendants’ eviction from shop number 2, Bulawayo Centre and all persons claiming title or occupation through them be and hereby granted,” ruled Justice Bere.
The judge also ordered Kingstons Holdings to pay the owners of the building a total of $32,618,30 in outstanding rentals, holdover damages and operating costs dating back to April 2015 with an interest of five percent per annum.
The bookseller was also ordered to pay the costs of suit.
NRZ Contributory Pension Fund leased out the shop to Kingstons Holdings in November 2002.