A National Social Security Authority (NSSA) tenant is demanding nearly US$260 000 in compensation for renovations she carried out at her rented property in Harare’s leafy suburb of Borrowdale Brooke.
In a letter to NSSA, Locadia Mutero’s lawyers, Mbidzo Muchadehama and Makoni Legal Practitioners said failure to compensate her within seven days would lead to further legal action.
“Our client now demands that you compensate her in the sum US$257 152.70, being the value of the repairs and improvements effected by the Respondent on the premises within the next seven (7) days, failing which she will declare a dispute and seek resolution of the dispute in terms of clause 29 (1) of the lease agreement,” reads the letter.
The renovations which were done at the property situated at Number 71 Crowhill Road Borrowdale Brooke, Harare, include gutters and downpipes repairs, roof leaks., ceiling repairs, dilapidated floors, re-thatching of the roofs of the chalets, ceiling repairs and painting of the chalets, replacing all rotten roof support poles, stained carpets requiring replacement and replacement of geysers.
“At the commencement of the lease the NSSA agreed to make good the defects, cause repairs to be effected and relay the lawn,” says the letter.
“NSSA failed to make good the restoration of the property, resulting in our client doing so, with the consent of NSSA. When our client sought to be compensated for the cost of repairs and maintenance, she effected on behalf of NSSA in 2015 and repairs necessitated by the flooding of the Brook in 2018, she was promised that the costs could be deducted from the rentals or valued and settled at the termination of the lease.”
The letter indicates that it had been acknowledged that the previous owner of the property, Mrs Anne Hamilton King, had stripped the property of the bulk of the fixtures, including doors, geysers, borehole pump, swimming pool pump, and light fittings, amongst other things.
“In addition, NSSA acknowledged that the lawn needed complete relaying as the previous owner Mrs Anne Hamilton King had spayed the entire 3 hectares of lawn with chemicals totally destroying it,” says the letter.
