... and forwarder loses R300 000, writes Martin Rushmere
FAULTY ARITHMETIC by a Zimbabwe judge has led to a shipping and forwarding company losing all the money it won in a civil suit.
Portdoor Freight was awarded R300 000 by the High Court eight months ago after it sued the parastatal Grain Marketing Board over a damaged consignment of rice in 1994.
The board appealed to the Supreme Court, which said that not only had the judge awarded 60% too much but that the board was not at fault in the first place.
Justice Sandura said the company had not proved satisfactorily that it was owed the money.
The board had contracted Portdoor as its agent at Beira to receive, store and deliver imported rice. The company was to be paid for expenses Ònecessarily and properly madeÓ to port authorities.
There was a subsequent dispute over what should have been paid.
