Legal woes mount over control of Harare joint

BY STAFF REPORTER

A Chinese national wreaked havoc, parked his vehicle at the entrance of a popular joint, Cosmopolitan Restaurant, while demanding clients write down their names to access the place and threatened to close it down if they failed to comply.

Several of the guests, mainly couples, who had showed up to celebrate Valentine’s Day were scared away and the police were called in to address the situation.

When the news team arrived, the Chinese national, identified as Shing Fung Hui, had left and the police were on site to deal with the matter.

Investigations later showed that the businessman in question, a worker at the South Mining Company, and part of the HNZ Family Trust, was involved in legal battles with its property manager, JC Delonics (Private) Limited, and his actions on Saturday night were in contempt of a court order.

It emerged that Hui, through the HNZ Family Trust, owns the piece of land where the restaurant and other businesses are operating from.

The two businesswomen contributed towards the construction of the facility and entered into a joint venture.

Documents seen by the Business Times show that the fights have been going on for days at the restaurant amid accusations and counter-accusations.

Hui’s wife allegedly took US$7,500 from the business without authority and this is confirmed in a letter from the accused Director’s lawyers, Gill, Godlonton and Gerrans Legal Practitioners to one of workers at the restaurant who filed a police report over the “stolen” funds.

“Our client advises us that towards the end of January 2026, you attended Marlborough Police station and made a report alleging that our client had stolen money from the restaurant operated by Melonbay Investments (Private) Limited. In making such a report, you purported to act on behalf of the said company as its authorised representative,” the letter their Lawyer Brian Mataruka, reads in part.

The letter also confirmed fights over the restaurant saying: “Our client takes the view that you are electing to involve yourself in ongoing shareholder dispute between her and her fellow shareholder. We urge you to refrain from involving yourself in issues that have nothing to do with you to avoid such claims against you in future.”

Business Times has established that on January 27, 2026, the Magistrates Court issued an interim order that the Trust which Hui is a trustee should not interfere with JC Delonics occupation of property.

Hui’s lawyer, Brian Mataruka, told Business Times that there is a longstanding legal dispute but justified his client’s action saying he had the right to his property and act in any manner describing the court order as interim.

“The property management company’s contract was terminated and they are refusing to leave. It’s as simple as that. They have no right to remain on the property and that is now we are in court,” he said.

On the behaviour of his client and apparent contempt of court, Mataruka said : “How can you be stopped from interfering with your own property? The court order exists but it’s an abuse of court process.”

“The court order does not bar my client from accessing the property. It doesn’t bar him from making security changes, to change the cameras, to change the gates and so on, it doesn’t say.”