By PERPETUAL
SICHIKWENKWE-
FORMER National Construction Council (NCC) executive director Sylvester Mashamba has sued his tenant, Reuben Chembe, for failure to pay rentals since 2006 amounting to more than K75, 000.
Dr Mashamba has asked the Lusaka High Court to allow him to evict Mr Chembe and give him leave of distress to levy his tenant for the sum of K80, 000 or such other amount as may have become due on the date of order of court.
The rentals relate to stand number 434//100 Ibex Hill rented by Mr Chembe.
Dr Mashamba also wants the court to order Mr Chembe to pay interest on the money from the date of the summons until payment at bank lending rate and costs for the proceedings.
He stated in his writ of summons filed in the principal registry that some time in 2006 he entered into a tenancy agreement with Mr Chembe in which he occupied his house in Ibex Hill at the monthly rental of K5,000.
Dr Mashamba of Kasupe, Lusaka West said Mr Chembe has remained in occupation of the house up to now but by August 2013 he had fallen into rental arrears amounting K50, 000.
He said on September 30, 2013 Mr Chembe purported to off-set the arrears by issuing Stanbic Bank cheque number 000178 which when presented to the bank for payment was dishonored.
Dr Mashamba said that by February 2014, the rental arrears stood at K75, 000 and his lawyers wrote a letter of demand to Mr Chembe for the money to be settled.
He said it was clear that Mr Chembe no longer had means to continue meeting the current monthly rentals hence his decision to reposses the house from him so that he could let it to other prospective tenants.
Dr Mashamba said it was his desire that all his rentals up to the date of obtaining possession be recovered by levying distress, unless Mr Chembe clears the outstanding amount sooner.