Thomas Mapfumo Sues Cottco Over US$33 000 Debt
Chimurenga maestro Thomas Chikawa, better known as Thomas Tafirenyika Mapfumo, is suing the Cotton Company of Zimbabwe (Cottco) for failing to settle a US$33 000 debt.
The debt emanates from commercial advert services Mapfumo did for the company in Muzarabani District in 2019.
The agreement between parties was that he would be paid upon his return to Harare, but Cottco has failed to honour the agreement.
A Cottco representative, Mugura Gumeni, made contact with Mapfumo’s Zimbabwe representative, Simbarashe Chiromo for the musician to do a commercial advert for Cottco in Zimbabwe sometime in 2019, the summons now before the High Court reveal.
Both parties entered into an agreement around the same period and Cottco agreed to pay a nominal fee of US$2 000 to enable Mapfumo to travel to Muzarabani.
The exact amounts for the services were to be determined by the scope of the project and established during the actual field visit.
The court has been told that on the 27th of February 2019, Mapfumo did the video shooting in Muzarabani and returned to Harare the same day.
But Cottco allegedly failed to formalise all relevant and necessary documents to enable Mapfumo to be paid for his services.
The total cost of the services provided by Mapfumo, according to the summons, amounted to US$35 000 and Cottco, having paid only US$2 000 is failing to pay off the balance of US$33 000.
Mapfumo is seeking an order for the payment of the balance of US$33 000 plus interest.
The matter is yet to be fully heard.
