.Mr. Zimba

By PERPETUAL SICHIKWENKWE –

FORMER Information and Broadcasting Services minister in the MMD government, Newstead Zimba was yesterday shocked to discover that the family accounts held at a named bank had been closed with the only active account with a balance of less than K15.
Mr Zimba, who expressed shock before Lusaka magistrate Irene Wushimanga, wondered why the only active account had K14.79.
This was after a manager at Standard Chartered Bank testified before court that there was only K14.79 in the only account that was still open.
Fabian Muleya told the Lusaka magistrates’ court that all the accounts had been closed and only one with a balance of K14.79 was active.
This is in a matter in which Naomi, Mr Zimba’s former wife, has appealed against the Lusaka local court’s decision to grant Mr Zimba a house on Woodlands’ Nalikwanda Road after the divorce last year.
Mr Zimba, also a former diplomat has also appealed against the local court’s decision to give Naomi one of the two vehicles, claiming they were his.
Ms Muleya, however, told Ms Wushimanga that all the accounts except for one had been closed.
She said this followed several withdrawals that were made on the accounts. Ms Muleya said that as of April 25, 2014 the only account that was active had K14.79.
“All the accounts are closed except for one which had a very minimal amount, as of April 25, 2014, it had K14.79,” Ms Muleya said after she was asked by Mr Zimba to give an account of the money in the bank accounts.
But Mr Zimba wondered how the money was withdrawn because, according to him, he had moved a motion in the High Court asking it to stop Naomi from withdrawing the money.
Ms Wushimanga has since set October 30, 2014 as the date for judgment, emphasising that with or without submissions from Mr Zimba and Naomi, she will deliver the judgment.
Mr Zimba is unrepresented while Naomi has a lawyer.