ZETDC drags school to court over $190 000 electricity bill

Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter
DRIEFONTEIN Mission School has been dragged to the High Court over failure to pay an electricity bill amounting to $190 000.

The Catholic school, situated in Mvuma, received and consumed power from the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Distribution Company (ZETDC), but did not pay, in violation of an agreement between the two parties.

After unsuccessfully trying other available remedies to recover the debt, ZETDC finally approached the High Court.

In the summons issued at the High Court on May 8, 2017, ZETDC lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, contended that the educational institution owed the power company for the electricity supplied to its two ac- counts.

The school, the plaintiff’s declaration reads, entered into an agreement with ZETDC for the supply of electricity to account numbers 1786829 and 1793126.

By February 21 this year, account number 1786829 owed ZETDC an amount of $30 490, while account 1793126 owed $160 407.

Efforts by the power firm to recover the debt through letters of demands failed, resulting in the dispute spilling into the courts.

“The defendant has failed, neglected or refused to pay the above sum despite written demand,” reads the dec- laration.

“By reason of the said failure, neglect or refusal to pay the above amount, the defendant is obliged to pay the said amount with interest calculated from the date of issue of summons, to date of payment in full, both dates inclusive and costs of suit.”

On Friday, the school’s lawyers, Mutatu & Partners Legal Practitioners, filed an appearance to defend the matter.

The same lawyers are expected to file the defendant’s plea ahead of a pre-trial conference before a judge of the High Court.

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