ZAMTEL WANTS BOWMAN LUSAMBO OUT OF ITS PROPERTY FOR NON PAYMENT OF RENTALS
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 owes 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 applicant prior written approval,” Mr Lungu stated.
However, before the lease agreement commencing, the Kabushi lawmaker undertook repair works to ensure that the house was in a habitable state.
Mr Lungu stated 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 sale it.
“That by letter dated 29th January, 2018, the respondent again wrote to the applicant requesting that the house should be sold to him as he had invested personal money in rehabilitating the property and the family had become emotionally attached to 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 his requests were not visible,” he said.
Mr Lungu stated that the former minister was notified that the house was not for sale and explained that there was a laid down procedure for the sale of government assets, therefore a direct offer to him would be deemed illegal.
The company through a letter dated September 7, this year wrote to the tenant demanding payment of outstanding rentals.
“That from the time the respondent took occupancy of the house; he has never paid any rent despite all efforts by the applicant to collect rentals from him.
That by a letter dated 8th October, 2021, through the respondent’s advocates was given notice to vacate the property by 31st October, 2021, but to date remains in occupation,” he said.
