Streak withdraws cases against Zimbabwe Cricket

By Mehluli Sibanda

Former Zimbabwe senior national cricket team coach, Heath Streak, has withdrawn two court cases, one against Zimbabwe Cricket and the other against ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani.

Streak’s abandonment of the two court applications is said to have paved way for him to be paid what he was owed by ZC for his services as Chevrons coach.

The former Zimbabwe skipper at the end of April last year slapped Mukuhlani with a $1 million lawsuit for defamation with the claim based on remarks the ZC boss made in the media, which Streak, through his lawyer Gerald Mlotshwa said insinuated that he picked the team along racial lines during last year’s International Cricket Council World Cup Qualifier.

Zimbabwe failed to make it to this year’s ICC Cricket World Cup in England after a humiliating three-run defeat to the United Arab Emirates through the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

In September last year, Streak approached the High Court seeking a provisional liquidation of ZC, arguing that his former employers were not in a position to settle what they owed him as well as their debts. Streak had cited ZC as the first respondent while the Ministry of Youth, Sports Arts and Recreation, the Sports and Recreation Commission and the Master of High Court were cited as the other respondents in the liquidation case.

Both the defamation case and liquidation pursuit were still to be heard in the courts after ZC and Mukuhlani filed opposition papers. However, the courts will no longer be involved after Streak withdrew the cases.

On 14 March, Streak through his lawyers, Titan Law officially notified the High Court in Harare that he was withdrawing his slander claim against Mukuhlani and on the same day withdrew his bid to liquidate ZC.

Sources familiar with the development indicated that both parties agreed not to speak to the media about the issue.

However, this publication has it on good authority that ZC have paid Streak what they owed him with the former coach having returned the car, and laptop belonging to the cricket mother body which he had been using during his time as Chevrons mentor.

“Heath Streak has withdrawn his two cases against ZC and the other where he was suing ZC chairman Tavengwa Mukuhlani, he has returned the car and laptop which had been given to him as national team coach.

“ZC have also paid him all that they owed him and the matter is now settled,” said the source who cannot be named. Streak was claiming about US$128 000 from ZC, but it could not be ascertained how much he was eventually paid. Sunday News