The ManicaPost
Weekender Reporter
A MUTARE resident is up in arms with a transporter who failed to pay back the US$400 he owed him.
The matter has since spilled into the courts where the complainant, Clayton Mashapa sued the transporter, Tatenda Tome over the US$400 debt.
The matter was dealt with by Mutare magistrate, Ms Perseverance Makala last year who granted a default judgement to Mashapa and ordered Tome to pay up his the debt or risk having his property attached.
According to Mashapa’s court papers, they read: “Sometime in May 2021, Mashapa loaned and advanced Tome the sum of US$400. Tome was supposed to repay the full amount on or before June 30, 2021. He, however, failed to do so.”
As the parties wrangled over the debt, Tome met Mashapa near a service station in Mutare recently and threatened to assault him.
However, Tome’s threats did not stop the Messenger of Court from attaching his property which include a set of sofas, fridge, a television and subwoofer with speakers.
Mashapa made a report to the police and Tome was detained overnight.
He was made to pay a fine of $2 000 for disorderly conduct.
The Manica Post picked up the story from the police in which Mashapa was mentioned as Tome’s ex-wife’s new husband in a mix-up of two reports from two different dockets.
This, however, did not go down well with Mashapa who took the matter into his own hands and started terrorising and threatening the reporter in question over the phone, saying he is employed by an international organisation and the reporter had a motive to tarnish his image.
The fuming Mashapa made a number of visits to The Manica Post insisting that he wanted to meet the reporter who wrote the first story in person, despite explanations that the issue of mixing up of facts was being attended to.
He made unfounded allegations that the reporter was paid to tarnish his name through publishing the story, allegations that he failed to prove when challenged to do so.
The enraged Mashapa was heard fuming at The Manica Post reception, saying he would personally deal with the reporter.
He also left a message with the security guard at The Manica Post to tell the reporter to be careful as he would unleash street urchins to assault her.
He said he will not relent until he deals with the reporter even if it means taking the matter to the company’s head office in Harare and Supreme Court.
