A former financial accountant at Slice Distributors, Tinashe Zengenene, has been accused of defrauding the company of over US$45,000. Zengenene appeared in court before Harare Magistrate Dennis Mangosi this week and was granted bail of US$100.
<h3>The allegations:</h3>
The State alleges that Zengenene failed to pay suppliers despite receiving approval from the company.
The fraud was discovered by Paddington Mungate, a senior internal auditor at Slice Distributors. Mungate noticed that there were pending payments to suppliers dating back to 2022 and decided to investigate further, <a href="https://www.hmetro.co.zw/chicken-slice-loses-us45k-to-accountant/">H-Metro</a> reported. He obtained statements from 10 suppliers and found that Zengenene had not made the payments, even though he had allegedly received US$45,146 for that purpose. It is believed that Zengenene converted the money for personal use.
Zengenene’s role as a financial accountant included authorising payments and reconciling daily transactions. Mungate, during his routine checks, discovered the discrepancies and confronted Zengenene about the outstanding transactions. Zengenene requested additional time to clear the pending transactions but failed to do so.
Slice Distributors is the company behind popular food chains such as Chicken Slice, Pizza Slice, Creamy Slice, and Slice Grill. The case against Zengenene will continue on March 19, as he faces charges of fraud for misusing company funds.
<h3><a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h3>

Pindula News

Former Slice Distributors Accountant Accused of $45,000 Fraud

Simbisa Brands managing director Warren Meares has said they do not consider Chicken Slice as a competitor.
This came after Chicken Slice founder and chief executive officer <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Tawanda_Mutyebere">Tawanda Mutyebere</a> on Thursday accused Simbisa Brands-owned Chicken Inn of bullying.
Chicken Inn’s application at the High Court in 2019 seeking an interdict against Chicken Slice using what it termed its trademarks was dismissed by High Court judge Justice Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba last month.
Mutyebere told NewsDay on Thursday that Chicken Inn had wasted his company’s resources fighting “unnecessary” legal battles.
Responding to Mutyebere’s remarks that Chicken Inn used “tricks of a bully”, Meares said they do not even consider Chicken Slice a competitor but a “copycat”. He said:
<blockquote>
We have got no qualms or animosity with Mr Mutyebere in any way. If anything, concerning Mr Mutyebere — and you are someone on the street, wherever we go, he follows.
We went to Braeside, he followed, we went to Walk Tall West End, he followed, Kadoma he followed, we went to Gweru and he followed, and we were in Bulawayo he followed.
When I see him, I stop and have a chat. I don’t have any qualms with him. If anything, I love the fact that he can become successful, and competition is good.
I see KFC (an American global chicken fast-food store, with outlets in Zimbabwe) more as competition than Chicken Slice.
KFC is an international brand. It is a big name, it is a strong name, which is real competition.
Chicken Slice is our little brother who is copying us.
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200006897/senate-passes-pvos-billas-usaid-warns-of-funding-threat">NewsDay</a>

"We Consider KFC Our Competitor, And Not Chicken Slice"

Chicken Slice founder and chief executive officer Tawanda Mutyebere has accused his competitor Chicken Inn of bullying.
This comes after Chicken Inn filed an application at the High Court in 2019 seeking an interdict against Chicken Slice using what it termed its trademarks.
Chicken Inn sought to have Chicken Slice barred from using red and yellow colours on its products and also to stop using the word “Luv” in their payoff line.
The company argued that Chicken Slice had used “Luv” in its burger and grill logo, saying it had always used “Luv Dat Chicken” since 1987 before Chicken Slice started using “I Luv it” on its burger boxes.
However, High Court judge Justice Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba last month dismissed the application by Chicken Inn.
Speaking to NewsDay on Thursday, Mutyebere said Chicken Inn did not invent the word “luv”. He said:
<blockquote>
There was no case. The idea here is about bullying. Where on earth would one be not allowed to use the word luv?
Love is not a coined word, it’s generic — whether you use the word love or luv.
The word Luv is actually in the Oxford dictionary and, therefore, you cannot say this is my word that I am using.
Where on earth can one say red or yellow is my colour? That’s ridiculous. You cannot register a colour.
In Zimbabwe, if they do not want to use the colour red, it then means everyone using the colour red must stop using the colour right from the national flag of Zimbabwe.
They are just there to try and frustrate us, but we will never be frustrated with such kind of poor attacks.
You cannot feed Zimbabwe by yourself.
</blockquote>
Mutyebere described the court application by Chicken Inn as “tricks of a bully”. <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200006933/chicken-inn-are-bullies-says-slice-boss">NewsDay</a>

Chicken Slice Boss Accuses Chicken Inn Of Bullying

Innscor Africa Limited has failed in its bid to interdict its competitor, Slice Distributors (Pvt) Ltd, also trading as Chicken Slice, for alleged trademark infringement in the High Court.
Chicken Inn filed an application at the High Court in 2019 seeking an interdict against Chicken Slice for using its trademark, “Luv” and its colours.
Chicken Inn argued that Chicken Slice had used “Luv” in its burger and grill logo.
The company also argued it has always used “Luv Dat Chicken” since 1987 before Chicken Slice started using “I Luv it” too on its burgers boxes.
Chicken Inn further submitted that the resemblance of the trademark and colours confuses consumers of their products.
However, Chicken Slice rejected the accusations arguing that Chicken Inn doesn’t own exclusive rights to the tagline “luv”.
In her ruling, Justice Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba said besides the word “luv”, the marks used are not similar and are used on the burger rather than the Chicken Slice logo. She said:
<blockquote>
In my view, a national customer who encounters the products of the plaintiff and the first defendant is not likely to be confused by the difference between them.
</blockquote>
Justice Chirawu-Mugomba noted that the evidence brought before the court by Chicken Inn was not sufficient as the similarities revealed through chats of clients do not represent the views of all customers. She said:
<blockquote>
Apart from the contention that the Chicken Inn was established in 1987, reference to a university student thesis and a few social media chats, the plaintiff has not put anything else before the court that proves goodwill and reputation.
This cannot be by any stretch of the imagination taken as proving goodwill and reputation. As already indicated, this is a matter of fact.
The proof, being a pre-requisite for passing off, Chicken Inn has failed to prove that Chicken Slice passed off any of its products as those of the plaintiff.
Accordingly, the claim for passing off by the plaintiff against Chicken Slice fails. It is trite that costs are at the discretion of the court. I can perceive no reason why Chicken Inn should not be awarded costs.
</blockquote>
| <a href="https://www.newzimbabwe.com/chicken-inn-loses-trademark-row-with-chicken-slice/">NewZimbabwe.com</a>

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