HARARE – The trial of Zanu-PF activist and businessman Temba Mliswa continued at the Harare magistrate’s court Wednesday with key State witness, Paul Westwood narrating how stressed and traumatized he was when he was forced out of his company, Noshio Motors.

Under cross examination by Mliswa’s lawyer Charles Chinyama, Westwood said Mliswa’s takeover of his firm resulted in him being evicted from his home after he failed to pay his bills.

“I was evicted from my house, my children were thrown out of school and I was struggling to pay my domestic workers,” Westwood said.

He said following the death threats by Mliswa, who is jointly accused with five others – Alfred Mwatiwamba, George Marere, Pastor Hammarskjold and his wife Brendaly Banda and Martin Mutasa, the son of Presidential Affairs Minister Didymus Mutasa – he opted out of the company.

“I was forced out of the company. I opted out for me to get a fair market value of my company,” Westwood said.

He said he had to dispose of his personal assets as he was struggling to make ends meet.

“I struggled to put food on the table for my family. I struggled to pay my utility bills; the land line telephone at my house was cut off. I struggled to pay Zesa and water bills,” he said.

He said he even failed to pay for medical bills as a result of the stress and trauma caused by Mliswa’s illegal takeover of his company.

Westwood also said workers at the company had also been threatened and were living in fear.

However, Chinyama said Westwood was not a credible witness as he has suffered from abuse of drugs.

“You have suffered not from an addiction of drugs?” Chinyama asked Westwood, adding this showed that he was not mentally stable.

Westwood admitted that he was on prescribed drugs, but was interjected by the presiding magistrate Never Katiyo who asked the lawyer to focus on the criminal nature of the case.

“The criminality of the case lies on what happened on December 18, when the company was taken over,” Katiyo said.

Prosecutor Goodwill Nyasha said Chinyama should not attack the character of the witness but produce documentary evidence to prove their claims.

Chinyama dismissed claims that Mliswa misrepresented to Westwood that he was sent by Minister of Youth, Saviour Kasukuwere or by President Robert Mugabe.

He said Mliswa was indeed a bona-fide vice president of the Affirmative Action Group and had never misrepresented himself to Westwood.

He also said Westwod’s firm was never taken under the indigenisation policy as the firm’s threshold was way under that stipulated by government for a firm to be acquired.

The trial continues on September 27 when the State will continue with its case. – Daily News