Municipal Reporter
Harare City Council is embroiled in a wrangle with Econet Wireless subsidiary Liquid Telecommunications over the firm’s non-payment of rentals amounting to US$1,8 million for development permits it was given in various areas to install telecommunication infrastructure.

The city’s corporate services and housing director, Mrs Josephine Ncube, recently told the Environmental Management Committee that at one time the city suspended all subsisting trenching permits pending resolution of the dispute.

Mrs Ncube reported that council granted Liquid Telecommunications permits in various areas to install telecommunications infrastructure on the condition that the permits would be subject to a lease agreement entered INTO between the two parties.

“In July 2014, council wrote to Liquid Telecommunications claiming payment in the sum of US$1 894 158, being rentals backdated 2012 for applications under optic fibre cables and also sent a Memorandum of Agreement . . . for signature,” she said in the report.

“Liquid Telecommunications refused to pay the rentals, resulting in the Town Clerk on August 4 writing a letter suspending all subsisting trenching permits pending resolution of

the dispute.”

The committee noted that a meeting was held between the parties in order to resolve the issue and the city agreed to lift the suspension, but the rentals remained outstanding.

The committee also heard that by the time the letter lifting the suspension was sent to Liquid Telecommunications, the firm had already filed an urgent chamber application in the High Court calling for the suspension of the city’s decision.

Mrs Ncube told the committee that Liquid Telecommunications withdrew the matter on the day of the hearing.

She said council would continue to engage Liquid Telecommunications to ensure that the rentals were paid.

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