DISTRIBUTED BY VERITAS TRUST
Tel: [263] [4] 794478 Fax & Messages [263] [4] 793592
E-mail: veritas@mango.zw
Veritas makes every effort to ensure the provision of reliable information, but cannot take legal responsibility for
information supplied.
Judgment No. SC 34/18|12
Civil Appeal No. SC 165/16
respondent refused or failed to act in its own interest. Mr Uriri relied on the fact that the
second respondent itself responded to the application filed by the first respondent. According
to the first appellant this shows that the second respondent was capable of instituting the
proceedings to safeguard its interests. In support of that, Mr Tsivama, counsel for the second
to fourth respondents, submitted that in order for the court to find whether or not derivative
action was available to the first respondent, the court ought to ask itself whether there was
any wrongdoing against the company by the majority shareholders or those in control of the
company, before the party which seeks to rely on derivative action can succeed.
On the other hand, Mr Mpofu for the first respondent submitted that derivative
action was justified on the basis that the seeking of a resolution for the second respondent to
institute proceedings would be a futile exercise since the third appellant, the other shareholder
of the second respondent, would have made that impossible. Mr Mpofu further submitted that
the futility of the meeting was known as the first respondent tried to call for the meeting with
the other shareholder. Mr Mpofu submitted that an attempt was made to call for a
shareholders’ meeting but was declined by the other shareholder.
A perusal of the record reveals that there is no evidence that an attempt was made
for the shareholders of Mbada Diamonds to convene a meeting to decide whether or not
Mbada should institute spoliation proceedings to protect its rights. There are only two
shareholders of Mbada Diamonds, the first respondent (Grandwell) and the third appellant
(Marange Resources). There is no evidence on record that the other shareholder actively