TOP filmmaker and Rain Media (Private) Limited director Shem Zemura has been ordered by a Harare magistrate to pay US$300 to scriptwriter Amanda Ranganawa for the parts she scripted for the award-winning film, Kushata Kwemoyo, which premiered in Harare last year.
BY TAFADZWA KACHIKO
Ranganawa had hauled Zemura and his company to court over the unpaid dues.
Magistrate Tilda Mazhande ruled that besides the US$300, Zemura should also pay an additional 5% interest.
“It is ordered in default that (1) The defendants jointly or severally one paying the other to be absolved be and are hereby ordered to pay to the Plaintiff: (a) The sum of US$300 (Three Hundred United States of America Dollars) owed as money due to plaintiff arising from a script writing contract. (b) Interest on the sum of US$300 at the prescribed rate of 5% per annum from the date of issue of summons to the date of payment in full and (c) Costs of suit on an attorney and client scale,” reads the court order.
Zemura had, through his lawyers Mbidzo, Muchadehama and Makoni denied the allegations, describing them as “baseless.”
He argued that he would only be able to pay Ranganawa after the film sold as was agreed in their contract signed in November 2017.
“As a matter of fact, that’s not new. The contract which she is in possession of, dated November 2017, stipulates that she was going to be paid after the film sales. That’s the contract signed when she sold her script,” Nick Zemura — speaking on behalf of Shem — said yesterday.
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Part of the scripwriter agreement signed on November 12, 2017 reads, “In consideration of the agreement made herein by the first part, the second part shall only be entitled to such payment after the sale of the film.”
Ranganawa, who was represented by lawyer Marufu Mandevere in the case, said if she was not paid her dues as per the court order, she would seize Rain Media’s property.
