–USD1million Claim Reduced to USD50,000

By Court Correspondent | ZimEye |

Lawyer Fadzayi Mahere has made a significant adjustment in the defamation lawsuit she is pursuing against colleague Pettina Gappah, lowering the amount of her claim from US $1 million to US $50,000. This reduction in the claimed amount is a notable development in the legal proceedings, possibly reflecting a strategic decision or reassessment of damages.

The lawsuit is over a tweet Gappah made in 2018 that Mahere alleges was defamatory.

Mahere has continued her lawsuit despite an apology announced and published last week, that had a 400,000 online circulation, more than two times the figure the 2018 tweet reached in readership.

The timeline for the case’s progression has been established, with the parties involved required to submit their written closing arguments on specific dates: the initial set of submissions is due on June 17, and the subsequent set is due on July 1. These submissions will provide the parties’ final arguments and evidence summaries for the court to consider.

The case is presided over by Justice Jacob Mafusire of the High Court’s Commercial Division. Justice Mafusire has decided to indefinitely adjourn the proceedings. This adjournment means that the case is paused without a set date for resumption, which can occur for various reasons, such as requiring more time for consideration of the submissions, awaiting further evidence, or administrative scheduling issues. The indefinite adjournment indicates that the court will determine the next steps and possibly set a new date for further hearings or the final judgment after reviewing the closing submissions..

Gappah is representing herself. – ZimEye

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