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Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
SOUTH African businessman Fredrick Wilhelm August Lutzkie is locked in a protracted legal wrangle with his business associates at Doddieburn Safari Ranch over ownership of shares.Lutzkie, who made headlines after he crashed his helicopter at Doddieburn Safaris near West Nicholson in Gwanda, burying the wreckage and flying out of the country undetected, claims he invested $2,3 million in the controversial joint safari business venture.

He allegedly made about $100,000 through illegal safari hunting at the ranch, which his partners claim he did not share with them. The partners, Doddieburn Holdings and Crocoburn (Pvt) Ltd, have approached the courts seeking an order nullifying the agreement.

According to court papers filed last week at the Bulawayo High Court, Lutzkie’s Company, Buffels Vallei 375, which is based in Middelburg in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province, was cited as the defendant while Doddieburn Holdings and Crocoburn (Pvt) Ltd are the plaintiffs in the matter.

Doddieburn Holdings and Crocoburn through their lawyers, Phulu and Ncube Partners, are seeking an order that cancels the agreement of sale of shares they entered into with Buffels Vallei 375, arguing that the South African company breached the pact.

“The plaintiffs claim an order cancelling the agreement of sale of shares to defendant by the plaintiffs entered in July 2013 because of a breach of agreement by defendant when he failed to pay agreed purchase price in full,” stated the plaintiffs.

According to the court papers, Buffels Vallei 375 entered into an agreement with the Doddieburn Holdings and Crocoburn (Pvt) Ltd to buy shares from two local companies which ran Doddieburn Farm. The agreement was not authorised by the minister responsible for indigenisation and economic empowerment.The terms of the agreement were that Buffels Vallei 375 would pay Doddieburn Holdings R2,9 million. The defendant paid R1 million on the understanding that the balance would be settled over a period of 60 months.

As part of the agreement, Buffels Vallei 375 was also supposed to pay Crocoburn R240,000 over 12 months, but it failed to honour the contract.

“The defendant only paid R1 million and failed to pay all the other monies. The defendant thus committed a breach of the agreement entitling the plaintiffs to cancel the agreement and a notice to that effect was sent via email on July 17, 2104,” said the plaintiffs.Buffels Vallei 375 is also being accused by the two companies of conducting illegal hunting at Doddieburn Farm without authority from the Zimbabwe Investment Authority. Lutzkie’s company is alleged to have raked in $101,800 from hunting.

“The money raised through the hunts isn’t legally due to the defendant and should accordingly be refunded to the plaintiffs within 14 days of the granting of the order,” said the lawyers.

Lutzkie’s partners are also seeking an order for payment of $200,000 for damages arising from the alleged breach of agreement.Buffels Vallei 375 is yet to file opposing papers.