By Winnie Kamau
Naiobi, Kenya: Bandwidth Cloud Services Group, also known as BCS, a prominent Kenya-based fiber company, which is led by its Founder Yonas Tesfaye Maru has lost control of its Zimbabwe subsidiary, named Fiber Connections because of a legal dispute for non-payment of a service provider of over US$1 million.
According to the Court Order issued by the High Court of Zimbabwe Commercial Division in Case number HC595/24 on 28 August 2024, the rights, title, and interests of BCS Holdings Group in their Zimbabwe subsidiary, Fiber Connections were seized and attached until the lawsuit against BCS Group has been concluded by the High Court or by the Supreme Court
of Appeal, if the matter is appealed. This means that 100% shareholding of BCS has been seized through legal attachment and is now under judicial control.
The Sheriff of the High Court of Zimbabwe served the notice of attachment and seizure on the Deed Office in Harare on September 20, 2024, effectively encumbering the BCS Group’s 100% shareholding in their local subsidiary.
The dispute that has resulted in BCS losing control of its Zimbabwean subsidiary allegedly emanated from a non-payment by BCS Group to one its service providers, even though services were allegedly rendered.
According to the summons lodged at the Zimbabwe High Court Commercial Division on 9th October 2024, the service provider, Leaning Tree, claimed US$1,035,636 plus interest from BCS Group and its Zimbabwe subsidiary Fiber Connections. Copies of the Sheriff’s return of service show that BCS Group and its subsidiary were served with the summons on Monday 14th October 2024.
Talk Africa’s efforts to reachout to BCS hit a wall as we reached out to hear their response.Talk Africa’s attempts to establish contact with BCS encountered an obstacle as we sought their perspective through various communication channels.
Talk Africa also found out that BCS is a Mauritius-headquartered wholesale telecom infrastructure provider, operating under licenses in Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Zambia, and Democratic Republic of Congo. From the website they describe themselves as also serving Burundi, South Sudan, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi at their respective border points.
