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Daniel Nemukuyu Senior Court Reporter

FORMER Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Mr Nicholas Goche has been taken to the High Court over an outstanding electricity bill amounting to $297 503.

Mr Goche, whose address of service was stated as Chizingi Ceres Farm, entered an agreement for the supply of electricity at his several properties in the country for a fee.

Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) supplied the power, but Mr Goche allegedly violated the agreement and defaulted on paying bills.

Efforts by the power utility to recover the debt outside court hit a snag, resulting in the dispute spilling into the High Court.

According to a chamber application filed at the High Court by ZETDC lawyers Chihambakwe Mtizwa & Partners, they want the deed of settlement signed by the parties in June 2016 to be registered as an order of the court.

The deed of settlement was signed at the time Mr Goche owed ZETDC $411 503.

After the deed of settlement, Mr Goche paid up to $114 000, leaving a balance of $297 503.

In terms of the deed of settlement, Mr Goche was to pay $30 000 by July 2016 as the first instalment.

From August 2016 to April 2018, Mr Goche undertook to pay monthly instalments of $15 900.

The payments were to be made into a CBZ Bank account held by ZETDC’s lawyers.

Mr Goche breached the payment plan and is indebted to the power utility to the tune of $297 503.

In terms of the same agreement, ZETDC gave the politician a seven-day written notice to rectify the breach without success.

ZETDC has now filed a chamber application to recover the debt.

The chamber application seeks registration of the deed of settlement so that it becomes enforceable as an order of the court.

Mr Goche is yet to respond to the chamber application.