The applicant, Biggie Mudimu, had been in occupation of Farm No. 1 Chimbganda West, Marondera since 1999. He claimed that the registered owner of the farm, who was returning to France, had mandated him to take care of the farm. In 2003, the respondent (Angela Casalonga, the executor and daughter of the late farm owner) served eviction summons under case HCH 4123/23. While those proceedings were pending, the respondent initiated further eviction proceedings under case HCH 4617/24. The applicant alleged he was not properly served with summons as the person the respondent purported to have served did not exist. Default judgment was entered against the applicant on 4 December 2024. The applicant was subsequently evicted and brought this application for rescission of the default judgment, arguing his absence at the hearing was not willful. The respondent opposed the application, stating the applicant had been properly served at the Legal Aid Directorate Harare Offices, an address he had always used, and that the earlier proceedings had been struck off the roll by MHURI J.
The application for rescission of default judgment was dismissed with costs.
A former employee who occupied property by virtue of employment, without any documented grant of rights by the owner, lacks locus standi to challenge eviction proceedings or seek rescission of default judgment relating to that property. To establish locus standi, a party must demonstrate a direct, personal and substantial interest in the right which is the subject matter of the proceedings. Mere occupation of property does not give rise to ownership rights or a legal interest sufficient to confer standing to litigate matters concerning that property where the occupation was solely by virtue of an employment relationship.
The court noted that the respondent had raised two other preliminary points: (1) that rescission cannot be sought when the applicant has already been evicted, as the relief sought directs parties to go back in time and argue the matter on merits which would only be ideal if the matter was still live; and (2) that the rescission application was improper and the applicant should have chosen another route such as a declaratur in terms of s 14 of the High Court Act [Chapter 7:06] to restore his rights. The court observed that if the applicant had placed anything on record proving that the late owner had granted him certain rights, the court would have taken a different approach to the matter.
This case reinforces the strict application of the locus standi requirement in Zimbabwean civil procedure. It establishes that mere occupation of property by virtue of employment does not confer a legal interest sufficient to challenge eviction proceedings or seek rescission of judgments relating to that property. The case emphasizes that parties must demonstrate a direct and substantial legal interest in the subject matter of proceedings, not merely a factual connection or physical presence. It also illustrates that locus standi is a threshold issue that can be dispositive of a matter before consideration of the substantive merits.