Fugitive Kudzayi blocked from publishing defamatory content against WestProp Holdings
Courts Correspondent
THE High Court has ordered Edmund Kudzayi and crew to cease forthwith, the publishing of any defamatory content against property tycoon ,Ken Sharpe and WestProp Holdings Limited with parties also being ordered to bear their own legal costs.
This follows the arrests of a Harare businessman linked to Kukurigo Communications, Nominate Chazwe (42) for allegedly extorting US$40,000 from WestProp Holdings while threatening to publish damaging information about the company and its CEO , Sharpe.
Chazwe appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa accused of working in cahoots with Edmund Kudzayi, the director of Kukurigo Communications (Pvt) Ltd.
WestProp negotiated and paid US$24,344, which was handed over to Kukurigo Communications and allegedly received by Kudzayi. However, the extortionists are said to have continued their demands, pushing for additional funds in the months that followed.
The court heard that in one instance, Chazwe instructed WestProp to leave US$1,000 at a local hotel, which was then collected by an associate identified as Noah Njambi. In February 2025, Chazwe allegedly made a final demand for US$4,000, prompting the company to report the matter to the police.
The police set up a sting operation, during which Chazwe was handed the US$4,000 in the presence of detectives. He was promptly arrested, and the extorted money was recovered.
Sharpe and WestProp Holdings proceeded to file an Urgent Court Application to stop the further publishing of what they believe are falsehoods being disseminated by Kudzayi who remains on the run , with unconfirmed reports alleging that he is holed up at a base in neighboring South Africa – where he has been issuing press statements via X criticising the legal processes instituted against him back home.
In a Provisional Order under Case No. HCH637/25, Justice Regis Dembure interdicted and prohibited Kudzai,Farai Machamire,Nominate Chazwe and Kukurigo Communications from publishing defamatory information against the applicants.
“ The Respondents, along with all individuals acting on their behalf, are hereby prohibited from publishing, producing, or disseminating any content that is defamatory or derogatory toward the Applicants, in accordance with the mutual settlement agreement signed by the parties in March 2024.Each Party shall bear its own costs,” reads the order.
The Court also gave the respondents the liberty to oppose the finalization of the Provisional Order filing a counter application within 10 days from the latest order.
“If you do not file an opposing order within the period specified above, this matter will be set down for hearing in the High Court at Harare without further notice to you and will be dealt with as an unopposed application for confirmation of the provisional order,” the courts ordered.
