Prime
Bitature allays fears of business closure over debt
Elizabeth Royal Apartments, one of Mr Bitature’s properties, which faces auction. PHOTO / ISAAC KASAMANI
Businessman Patrick Bitature has moved to ally fears that his Simba Group of Companies are facing any closure over alleged failure to pay debt.
In a statement issued on Sunday, 22 May 2022, Bitature said that his string of hotels and apartments are open for business.
“I make this statement today to first and foremost reassure all our staff on the frontline of service to our customers, all our suppliers and you our customers that we are open for business and ready to serve you as we have done for the last 25 years,” he said.
Last week, Bitature’s string of businesses, including Skyz Hotel Naguru and Protea Hotel, were advertised by court brokers in the print media last week allegedly over failure to pay debt.
The business admitted that the last few days have been very tough for “me personally and for our group as a whole as we made news for all the wrong reasons.”
However, he said the issues are being addressed.
“No doubt as a businessman and one always looking for new pathways, I knew that one day these kinds of headlines would cast a cloud over decades of hard work. As you all know today, we live in a world of 24hour news cycle full of opinions, suspicion and innuendos. For that I make no judgement and hold no grudge," he said.
“Legal and commercial issues have arisen in our financing and these are being addressed and when the moment is right, I will speak to them. No doubt these are tough challenges I am responsible for and are challenges I will face and resolve. Social media is not the place to resolve these issues,” he added.
“As one of our proverbs says No matter how long this dark night may be, a bright morning will come. Be assured of my resolve to continue making our contribution to the transformation of our country.”
