Lusaka woman sues Topstar Communications after losing house won in sales promotion

A Lusaka woman has sued Topstar Communications Company Limited after being evicted from a house she won in one of the company’s promotions.

Precious Lubinda has filed a lawsuit in the Lusaka High Court, seeking full ownership of the house or financial compensation.

She is also demanding damages for breach of contract, negligence, interest on any awarded sums, and legal costs.

Between November 15 and December 31, 2017, Topstar ran the House, Money, Car 2017 Christmas Promotion, encouraging customers to subscribe for a chance to win prizes, including a two-bedroom house.

Lubinda participated by subscribing for three months and was declared the winner in March 2018.

She was handed the keys to House No. 1001 in North Gate Gardens Housing, off Kasangula Road in Lusaka, and moved in, believing she was now a homeowner.

However, on July 11, 2022, court bailiffs evicted her—revealing a shocking truth: Topstar never owned the house.

The property legally belonged to First Capital Bank Zambia Limited, following a court ruling in 2018.

“I was given the house in a public handover ceremony. How could they award me something that wasn’t even theirs?” Lubinda questioned.

“Four years later, I was thrown out like a trespasser. This has been a complete betrayal,” she added.

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Upon confronting Topstar, the company admitted that the house had been mortgaged to the bank.

It claimed that a marketing agency had handled the promotion and sourced the property from a third party, which misrepresented its ownership status.

Lubinda argued that Topstar was negligent and failed in its duty to ensure the house was legally available as a prize.

She said the ordeal had caused her financial and emotional distress.

She now wants the court to compel Topstar to either deliver the house as promised or provide its financial equivalent.

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