Shuntai Fights Back Against US$10,000 Contempt Fine In Dispute With Bryden Country School

Chinese cement manufacturer Shuntai Investments has lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court against a US$10,000 fine imposed by the High Court for contempt, as its bruising legal battle with Bryden Country School continues.

The Chegutu-based school has been fiercely opposing the construction of Shuntai’s massive cement plant nearby, warning it would spew harmful pollution and put pupils’ health at risk.

In March, Bryden secured a temporary injunction halting the project, arguing Shuntai had pushed ahead without securing the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate.

Shuntai later obtained the EIA certification in April, but the dispute escalated when the High Court slapped the company with a contempt fine.

In their Supreme Court appeal, Shuntai’s lawyers insist there is “no substantive evidence” to back the contempt ruling. The lawyers argued:

“The court erred in finding the appellant in contempt in the absence of any expert or objective proof that the construction activities at Plot 8 Eastbourne, Chegutu, were intended for the establishment or implementation of the prohibited lime and cement factory project.”

Shuntai’s lawyers argued that the High Court had erred by treating construction activity at the site as automatic proof of contempt, without showing that the work took place after the March 25, 2025, provisional order or within its prohibited scope.

They further insisted the judge placed undue weight on supposed inconsistencies in Shuntai’s affidavit, treating them as proof of guilt without any hard evidence linking the activities to the blocked project.

The legal team stressed that in contempt proceedings, all ambiguities in a court order must be interpreted in favour of the accused, as guilt must be established beyond a reasonable doubt.

On top of that, Shuntai’s counsel slammed the US$10,000 fine as excessive and punitive, saying the court imposed it without considering the company’s financial standing or offering justification for the figure.

More: The Herald