Businessman ordered to pay K3,000

MUTINTA MULAYE writes

@SunZambian

THE Lusaka Boma Local Court has ordered a businessman of Kaunda Square to pay a fellow businessman K3, 000 for a job he did for him.

This was a case in which Alfred Chanda, 28, of Kanyama Township took Max Nyirongo to court saying to settle a dispute over a payment.

Chanda said Nyirongo had paid him K2,000 and was remaining with a balance of K3, 000.

He told senior local court magistrate Mpundu Fwambo last year in December, he was hired to put a ceiling board at a house.

But after doing the job, Nyirongo was difficult to deal with over the payment of the balance.

Nyirongo told the court he did not know Chanda.

“I just used to visit the place he was working at. I used to go and see a friend there where this guy was putting a ceiling board,” he said.

Nyirongo said he did not owe Chanda any money because he did not know him. “He should provide receipts to show that I paid him that K2,000 he is claiming I gave him,” Nyirongo said.

Max Nyirongo, a pastor of Mtendere who stood as Nyirongo’s witness, told the court he also did not know Chanda.

“In December when Mr Nyirongo and I were given a contract to put a ceiling board, we hired a guy to do the job who we agreed to pay K1,500. After the job was done we paid him the K1,500,” he said.

The case was adjourned for the pastor to bring the man (key witness) he claimed he and Mr Nyirongo sub-contracted to do the job.

Winston Hamwinga of Zingalume told the court Nyirongo (the businessman) and Nyirongo the pastor gave him a job to install a ceiling.

“I did not do the job but I gave the job to Chanda and his friend. They did the job and Nyirongo (pastor) was to give them K5,000. He gave them K2,000 and there was a balance of K3,000 which he didn’t give them,” Hamwinga said.

The court then established that the job was done and the K3,000 needed to be paid.

Magistrate Fwambo ordered Nyirongo the businessman to pay Chanda the K3,000 balance in one installment at the month end of July 2019.