Groove Bar sues tourism group

By Mashudu Netsianda

A Bulawayo company which operated a once popular nightspot, Groove Bar at Rainbow Hotel, has taken the Rainbow Tourism Group (RTG) to court seeking more than $70 000 for improvements and renovations they did at the building.RTG are the proprietors of the building where Groove Bar used to operate from before it was evicted over unpaid rentals in August last year.

Creative Masters (Pvt) Ltd, the owners of Groove Bar, through their lawyer, Mr Thulani Ndlovu of Sansole and Senda, filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court citing RTG as a defendant.

The company is accusing RTG of reneging on an arrangement entered between the two parties in the lease agreement.

“It was agreed between the parties that the plaintiff (Creative Masters) was to get a rebate for the improvements that they effected to the defendant (RTG)’s property. As a consequence thereof plaintiff effected improvements to the defendant’s building at a cost of $76 281,20.

“The defendant however, did not extend any rental rebate to the plaintiff who is entitled to the value of the improvement thereof,” said Mr Ndlovu.

He said RTG forced Groove Bar to close its business illegally without a court order in August 2017.“As a result of this illegal closure, plaintiff continues to lose business at the rate of $1 000 per day, which amount represents the fair earnings the plaintiff was getting from the business,” said the lawyer.

Creative Masters wants the court to direct RTG to restore their occupation of the hotel premises including payment of $1 000 per month from August 4, 2017 to date of full payment including costs of suit.

RTG is yet to respond to the summons. The Chronicle