Trevor Ncube has taken 36 of his employees to the High Court of Zimbabwe, demanding US$100,000 in damages over alleged defamatory statements concerning the company and hi..
The lawsuit, filed at the High Court in Harare, is founded on defamation and injuria, with Ncube's ZimInd Publishers seeking damages, interest and legal costs from the employees.
According to the summons dated September 25, 2026, the company’s claim is for payment of the sum of USD $100,000.00 for defamation damages, together with interest and costs of suit.
The dispute allegedly arose from an all staff meeting held on March 5, 2026. The court papers say the meeting was attended by managers and other staff and was chaired by the company’s chairman.
According to the court papers, it alleges that employees had been instructed not to use their mobile phones while the chairman was addressing the meeting.
“Prior to and at commencement of the meeting, all employees, including Defendants, were expressly and lawfully instructed not to be on their mobile gadgets/phones while the Chairman was addressing the meeting,” the company says in its declaration.
The publisher alleges that the employees ignored the instruction and subsequently communicated statements about the company and its chairman to journalists, media organisations and on social media.
“Defendants wrongfully, unlawfully and intentionally, with animus injuriandi, published false, misleading and defamatory statements concerning the Plaintiff and its Chairman,” the court papers allege.
Among the statements ZimInd says were circulated were allegations that the company was “cruel and insensitive to its employees” and that its chairman was “cruel and insensitive.”
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The company further alleges that employees claimed it was “withholding employees' monthly dues and salaries out of malice and corruption” and that it had “accumulated salary arrears through negligence of the Chairman and managers.”
ZimInd denies the allegations and says they damaged its reputation and business standing.
“The statements are false, untrue and were at all material times known by the Defendants to be false and untrue,” the company states in its declaration.
It adds, “Plaintiff is not in arrears, has not withheld monthly dues, and has not acted with cruelty or negligence.”
The publisher also alleges that the statements were communicated to third parties, including journalists, and published or shared on platforms including LinkedIn.
According to the court papers, the alleged publication caused damage to the company’s reputation, dignity and business standing, which ZimInd puts at US$100,000.
Beyond the financial claim, ZimInd wants the employees to issue a public apology and retraction.
The company is asking the court for an order compelling the defendants to publish an unconditional retraction and apology in the same media and on LinkedIn where the defamation was published.
It is also seeking an order restraining the defendants from further publishing, sharing or disseminating any defamatory statements concerning Plaintiff and its Chairman.
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