GEZA GRABBED SAFARI LODGE, STRIPPED IT

Controversial war veteran Cde Blessed Geza invaded Harare Safari Lodge in 2020, stripped it of assets like cars and kicked out employees of the former owner Mr Brett Allan McDonald riding on his political clout, The Herald can report.

Now, Cde Geza finds himself facing a civil case after allegedly refusing to pay US$1,5 million for Harare Safari Lodge, a property situated on the picturesque banks of Lake Chivero, which he purportedly acquired four years ago.

Cde Geza claims the land in question is State property, rendering it unsellable.

The controversy stems from an agreement between Cde Geza and the lodge’s owner, Mr McDonald.

Under the terms, Cde Geza was to buy Mr McDonald’s entire shareholding in the resort for US$1,5 million, with payment stipulated to be made within two weeks.

However, Cde Geza is accused of failing to honour the agreement, not paying a single cent since the deal’s conclusion.

Despite his non-payment, Cde Geza is said to have moved onto the property, located on Mclliwane 21 Farm, without Mr McDonald’s consent.

He has reportedly taken up residence and is enjoying full use of the lodge.

Efforts to evict him following the cancellation of the agreement have proven futile, even after formal notices were served to address the breach of contract.

This unresolved dispute has now escalated to the High Court, with Mr McDonald and Harare Safari Lodge (HSL) seeking judicial intervention to reclaim the property.

In response, Cde Geza, through his legal team, argues that the agreement is void.

He claims the property in question was acquired by the State in 2005, rendering the sale invalid. Cde Geza asserts that the deal was not a legitimate sale of shares, but rather an unlawful attempt to sell State land.

Furthermore, Cde Geza contends that his refusal to pay stems from his challenge of the sale’s legality.  He has demanded that Mr McDonald and HSL address what he describes as “encumbrances” on the property, which he believes are tied to the State’s ownership.

The dispute remains unresolved, with a pre-trial conference held in May last year before Justice Priscilla Munangati-Manongwa failing to produce a resolution.

The court ruled that the case must proceed to trial to address three key issues: Whether HSL holds rightful ownership of the immovable property at Mclliwane 21 (Subdivision A of Glenroy of Oatlands), whether the agreement between Mr McDonald and Cde Geza was legally valid, and, if so, whether Mr McDonald lawfully cancelled the agreement.

Mr McDonald’s lawyer, Mr Simbarashe Chigumira, who has been threatened with death by Cde Geza, explained how his client was “robbed of his property” in broad daylight.

“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,” said Mr Chigumira. Herald

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