Chivayo, business partner clash

By Daniel Nemukuyu

Businessman Mr Wicknell Chivayo is embroiled in boardroom squabbles with his business partner Mr Yusuf Ahmid whom he accuses of plotting to elbow him out of Intratrek Zimbabwe Private Limited.

Mr Chivayo — who is the founder and managing director of Intratrek — is battling to protect his interests in the firm, arguing that they own 50 percent shareholding apiece.

He claims that a verbal agreement they entered into awarded them equal shareholding.

Intratrek was awarded a tender worth $5 million to set up a 100MW solar project in Gwanda under controversial circumstances and it has been heavily criticised over its failure to implement the project in time despite receiving payment from the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) without a guarantee.

Problems arose when Mr Ahmid’s lawyers sought to be provided with documents related to the Gwanda tender, both from ZESA Holdings and Mr Chivayo.

Mr Ahmid’s lawyers reportedly also held a meeting with ZESA Holdings, a development Mr Chivayo felt was part of his partner’s strategy to topple him.

Harare lawyer Mr Wilson Manase of Manase & Manase Legal Practitioners has written to ZESA Holdings chief executive officer Engineer Josh Chifamba warning him against entertaining Mr Ahmid and his lawyers in discussions regarding the Gwanda project.

Mr Manase, on behalf of Mr Chivayo, also wrote to Mr Ahmid’s lawyers Bruce Tokwe Commercial Law Chambers, accusing them of roping in ZESA Holdings in their plot for a boardroom coup.

“Your demand (for documents) has been inopportunely made at a time when both your clients and yourself jointly and severally engaged certain officials from ZESA Holdings on or around 25 January 2018 on an inimical attempt to illegally topple our client from his rightful position as a 50 percent shareholder in Intratrek Zimbabwe and its managing director,” he said. The Herald