War veteran and ZANU PF Central Committee member Blessed Runesu Geza is facing a civil case over his alleged seizure of Harare Safari Lodge.
As reported by The Herald, the case stems from an alleged failure to pay US$1.5 million for the property, which he is accused of acquiring in 2020 from former owner Brett Allan McDonald.
Geza reportedly claims that the land is State property, and therefore unsellable, arguing that the sale agreement is invalid.
The terms of the deal required him to purchase McDonald’s entire shareholding in the lodge for US$1.5 million, with payment due within two weeks.
However, Geza is accused of not paying anything since the agreement was made, despite taking up residence at the lodge and using its assets.
McDonald has sought legal recourse to reclaim the property, with the case now escalated to the High Court.
Geza’s legal team maintains that the agreement is void, asserting that the property was acquired by the State in 2005, and that the sale of shares was unlawful.
The dispute continues, with a pre-trial conference held in May last year failing to resolve the issue.
The court has ruled that the case must proceed to trial to determine ownership of the property, the validity of the agreement, and whether McDonald lawfully cancelled the deal.
In the meantime, McDonald’s lawyer, Simbarashe Chigumira, has expressed concerns about threats made against him by Geza. Said Chigumira:
So, our client entered into an agreement of sale for shares in a company. In terms of that agreement, Mr Geza was supposed to pay the amount of US$1 500 000 within 14 days of signing the agreement.
The parties signed the agreement in December 2020, but Mr Geza did not manage to raise the purchase price for the shares.
Another term of the agreement was that upon purchasing the shares, Mr Geza would consequently take over the Harare Safari Lodge, which is currently housed at Lake Chivero.
But despite failing to raise the purchase price, Mr Geza took occupation of the lodge without our client’s consent.
Our client advises us that Mr Geza forcibly removed his staff from the property and that he’s even occupied the primary residence, which belongs to our client, and which was never part of the agreement.
· 2 months ago
I saw a little boy, perhaps ten
years old, driving a huge carthorse
along a narrow path, whipping it
whenever it tried to turn. It struck
me that if only such animals
became aware of their strength we
should have no power over them,
and that men exploit animals in
much the same way as the rulers
exploit the proletariat.
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business. I
don’t want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone - if
possible - Jew, Gentile - black man - white. We all want to help one
another. Human beings are like that. We want to live by each other’s
happiness - not by each other’s misery. We don’t want to hate and
despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone. And the
good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be
free and beautiful, but we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men’s souls, has barricaded the world with hate, has
goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed,
but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left
us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness, hard
and unkind. We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery
we need humanity. More than cleverness we need kindness and
gentleness. Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be
lost…
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very
nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men - cries out
for universal brotherhood - for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is
reaching millions throughout the world - millions of despairing men,
women, and little children - victims of a system that makes men torture
and imprison innocent people.
To those who can hear me, I say - do not despair. The misery that is
now upon us is but the passing of greed - the bitterness of men who
fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass, and
dictators die, and the power they took from the people will return to the
people. And so long as men die, liberty will never perish…
Soldiers! don’t give yourselves to brutes - men who despise you -
enslave you - who regiment your lives - tell you what to do - what to
think and what to feel! Who drill you - diet you - treat you like cattle, use
you as cannon fodder. Don’t give yourselves to these unnatural men -
machine men with machine minds and machine hearts! You are not
machines! You are not cattle! You are men! You have the love of
humanity in your hearts! You don’t hate! Only the unloved hate - the
unloved and the unnatural! Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for
liberty!
In the 17th Chapter of St Luke it is written: “the Kingdom of God is
within man” - not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you!
You, the people have the power - the power to create machines. The
power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make
this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure.
Then - in the name of democracy - let us use that power - let us all
unite. Let us fight for a new world - a decent world that will give men a
chance to work - that will give youth a future and old age a security. By
the promise of these things, brutes have risen to power. But they lie!
They do not fulfil that promise. They never will!
Dictators free themselves but they enslave the people! Now let us fight
to fulfil that promise! Let us fight to free the world - to do away with
national barriers - to do away with greed, with hate and intolerance. Let
us fight for a world of reason, a world where science and progress will
lead to all men’s happiness. Soldiers! in the name of democracy, let us
all unite!
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