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Harare Bureau
FORMER Deputy Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Senator Aguy Georgias, has died. He was 80.

The Zanu-PF Central Committee member who was also former Economic Development Deputy Minister, died in the early hours of yesterday at AMI Hospital in Harare where he had been admitted.

His daughter Tina confirmed the death yesterday and said the Trinity Engineering chairman and founder succumbed to kidney and heart failure.

“He hasn’t been well and spent one and half months seeking medical attention in Cape Town, South Africa before he returned to the country a week ago and he was now doing well. He died today at 2am at AMI Hospital in Avondale,” she said.

Sen Georgias was born on June 22, 1935 in Chivhu, Mashonaland East.

He is survived by wife Lizzy, 11 children and 16 grandchildren.

Mourners are gathered at Number 14 Rocky Lodge, Browning Drive, Strathaven in Harare.

Burial arrangements are still to be announced.

Sen Georgias, an astute businessman and consummate politician was a no nonsense man who always stood on the side of justice as exemplified by his groundbreaking challenges to the in duplum rule as well as launching a legal challenge against the west’s economic sanctions regime in British and EU courts.

In 2006, Senator Georgias fought for the enforcement of the in duplum rule, which now benefits everyone. The in duplum rule prohibits the charging of interest in excess of the capital amount.

Six years later Senator Georgias’ quest for justice saw him file a lawsuit in the General Court in Luxembourg against the European Commission and the European Union Council on April 13, 2012 over the imposition of an illegal sanctions regime on his company, Trinity Engineering, and Zimbabwe.

He also fought against the deportation of senior government officials’ children from the United Kingdom where they were studying.

In November last year, Sen Georgias was set to appeal against the European Union General Court’s verdict rejecting his claim for damages from the EU Council and Commission arising from sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe by the EU.

Sen Georgias’ case was heard by the General Court sitting in Luxembourg earlier last year after he filed a claim for damages suffered as a result of his listing on the EU travel ban list.

The court ruled in September last year that the EU council did “not act unlawfully in imposing restrictive measures” against Sen Georgias.