By GRACE CHAILE LESOETSA
FORMER Lusaka Province minister Bowman Lusambo has not been paying rentals to Zamtel for the house he occupies in Ndola for over four years now, court documents have revealed.
Zamtel has described Mr Lusambo as a problematic tenant who should immediately vacate the house.
According to an affidavit in support of originating notice of motion filed in the Lusaka High Court by Zambia Telecommunications Company Limited (Zamtel) yesterday, as at October 31, 2021, Mr Lusambo was owing K590,000 in rental arrears.
Zamtel Human Resource operations manager Henry Lungu, stated that the company and Mr Lusambo entered into a lease agreement where Zamtel as landlord leased the Kabushi lawmaker as a tenant in its property known as house no.68 Kabelenga road, Ndola.
The lease agreement was with effect from December 1, 2016 and the agreed monthly rentals in the sum of K10, 000 exclusive of withholding tax.
“That the applicant and the respondent also agreed that respondent could carry out repair works on the house, which were ordinarily the responsibility of the applicant as landlord, provided that any works to be under taken by the respondent had the Zamtel’s prior written approval,” Mr Lungu stated.
However, before the lease agreement commenced, the Kabushi lawmaker undertook repair works to ensure that the house was in a habitable state.
Mr Lungu stated that Mr Lusambo commenced personal renovations without Zamtel’s written approval.
He stated that after the respondent completed personal renovations to the house, he informed the company that the repair works cost K2, 050,327.08 and requested that the said amount should be credited to his rental account.
He stated that Mr Lusambo also requested Zamtel to consider selling him the house in the event that it decided to sell it.
That by letter dated January 31, 2018, the applicant responded to the respondent’s request to be sold the property or to deduct his renovation cost from the rentals by stating that both requests were not visible,” he said.
