BINGA businessman Taurai Marava has taken the Zimbabwe
National Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (Zimparks) to court demanding
over US$210 000 compensation for loss of business and costs incurred in
repairing his two fishing rigs that were impounded by the authority for 16
months.
Zimparks impounded the rigs in August 2017 accusing Marava
of fishing in a prohibited area of the Zambezi River and demanded $2 000 for
each boat to be released.
However, Marava approached the Bulawayo High Court
challenging the seizure of his rigs, saying it was illegal.
High Court judge Justice Maxwell Takuva ruled in his favour
and also rapped Zimparks for impounding the licensed rigs.
In a recent case, Marava again approached the same court
demanding damages of US$210 740,17, according to summons filed by his lawyers
Shenje and Company Legal Practitioners, gleaned by Southern Eye yesterday.
In his declaration, the businessman said he lost US$193 784
in potential kapenta catchings and US$16 956,17 in repairs of the vessels after
their release by Zimparks.
“The plaintiff (Marava) would have earned US$5 per
kilogramme and consequently lost revenue in the sum of $193 784 through the
wrongful actions of the defendant,” Murava submitted.
“The plaintiff’s vessels were damaged while in defendant’s
custody and required certain repairs before they could be deployed on the
waters for plaintiff’s business purposes.
The plaintiff, therefore, lost $16 956,17 through repairs,
labour and transport and related costs to have said vessels removed from
defendant’s custody to plaintiff’s business premises.”
He submitted that payment should be in hard currency or
RTGS dollars equivalent at the time of payment to the prevailing bank rate.
Zimparks has also filed a notice of appearance to defend
though its lawyers Coghlan and Welsh.
The matter has not yet been set down for hearing. Newsday
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