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Raymond Jaravaza, raymondjaravaza@gmail.com
BULAWAYO nightclub proprietor Robert Grey Moyo was on Saturday kicked out of the premises where he operated a bar at the Paddonhurst Shopping Centre over failure to pay rent for six years, accumulating a debt of US$25 000.
He also stands accused of producing a ‘fake’ court order to prolong his stay at the premises, against the wishes of the building owners.
Moyo used to run a nightclub that was called Metropolis Bar at Ascot Shopping Centre where he left under unclear circumstances a few years ago.
The businessman has been chucked out of the Paddonhurst Shopping Centre twice but keeps coming back without the permission of the building owners – C & D Property Investments -, according to Christabel Jhamba who spoke to Chronicle on behalf of the family that owns the property.
“The occupant Jaspro Enterprises (a company owned by Moyo) has been in occupation of part of our building illegally, he has been operating his bar without a lease agreement, a self-imposed lease agreement that we as the owners of the building did not sign.
“He has not paid rent for the last six years and owes over US$25 000. Each time we evict him, he comes back to occupy the premises illegally. He must just do the right thing and learn to co-exist with property owners and pay his rent so we hope this time he will be a gentleman and stay away from our building because he is no longer welcome here,” said Jhamba.
Chronicle observed a group of men hired by the building owners removing chairs, pool tables, crates filled with an assortment of beers, bar stools and refrigerators from the premises while Moyo stood motionless.
After a making a number of phone calls, he produced what he claimed were court documents, seen by this publication, which started that the two parties had agreed to extend the lease agreement, giving the bar owner the right to remain operating for the next couple of years.
“The Applicant is the tenant to the premises with a valid lease agreement that was given to it by the Respondent represented by one E.M Jhamba on 10 November 2017. Attached is a copy of the lease agreement. The lease agreement was duly renewed through the Respondent’s representatives, Bankables Real Estate on 17 April 2021, attached to this application is the renewal notice.
“The Applicant is in possession of the property, operating it as a pub and grill and has been doing so since 2017.
“On the 17th of January 2024, Respondent locked Applicant’s premises without any warning or justifiable cause. Respondent has also welded iron bars on the entrance of the premises,” read the court documents.
The lawyer representing the building owners, Arkisayi James Dhliwayo of T Hara and Partners law firm, disputed the authenticity of the court documents that were produced by Moyo, dismissing them as fake.
“At first glance, the documents produced by Moyo appear genuine but there are, in fact, fake because the name of magistrate who supposedly heard the case does not appear on the documents and I strongly believe that there are not genuine. The lease agreement that is attached to his documents expired a lot time ago and was never renewed.
“He failed to abide by the terms of the first lease agreement by not paying rent and the building owners made a decision not to renew the lease agreement and asked him to vacant the premises,” said Dhliwayo.
Moyo declined to speak to Chronicle.
Online Reporter
