Kaseke sued over US$2 000 debt

BY PATIENCE NYANGOVE CONTROVERSIAL Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) boss Karikoga Kaseke has been dragged to court by the National Social Security Authority (NSSA) for allegedly failing to remit workers’ pensions amounting to more than US$2 000. According to High Court papers, NSSA claims that Kaseke owes them US$1 574,57 in contributions for the period between September 2009 and March 2010. NSSA said the amount had since accumulated surcharges and penalties as prescribed by the authority’s Act, amounting to US$687,23, bringing  the amount of money Kaseke owes to US$2 261,80. Kaseke’s farm is listed as Kaseke Farm in the papers and is situated 14km off the Selous-Harare highway. “The defendant refuses and or neglected to settle the amount notwithstanding written demand by Plaintiff and dated 15 July 2010,” reads part of the papers filed on July 5. But a livid Kaseke speaking from Nairobi on Thursday said the NSSA were “mad” because he did not own the farm. “They are mad,” he said. “One, I don’t know the workers they are talking about. Two, I don’t know the farm they are talking about. “They just moved around asking people whose farm it was, what if they were given wrong information? “They are mad people, they don’t know what they are doing. They should go and hang a thousand times.” Kaseke is not new to controversy. He recently clashed with Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Walter Mzembi over his move to dethrone Miss Zimbabwe Personality, Lungile Mathe over alleged “unbecoming behaviour that was threatening the integrity of ZTA.”