Correspondent|HERBERT Shumbamhini, the owner of Devonia Farm situated along the Mutoko Road in Goromonzi district, has been taken to the High Court by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), over an unpaid electricity bill of $54 857.

“The defendant (Shumbamhini) is indebted/liable to the plaintiff (ZETDC) in the sum of $54 857,28 being charges in respect of power/electricity supplied by the plaintiff to the defendant at the latter’s special request and instance in terms of the running electricity supply contract between the two …,” the ZETDC said.

“The defendant has failed, neglected and/or refused to pay the above sum/amount despite demand.

“By reason of the said failure, neglect and/or refusal to pay the above sum/amount, the defendant is obliged to pay the same with interest thereon at the prescribed rate which is currently 5% per annum.”

According to court papers, Shumbamhini is yet to respond to the litigation.

Divonia Farm is located near Juru Growth Point. In 2014, Mugabe’s in-laws, the Chikores, took over about 600ha of Divonia Farm before elbowing out their neighbour, Shumbamhini, as they extended their hectarage.

Shumbamhini, who is also the ZANU PF Mashonaland East political commissar, became homeless after the invasion of the 350-hectare sub-division of Divonia Farm.

When President Emmerson Mnangagwa came tovb power, Chimhini took back the farm. He was currently resuscitating the infrastructure that was allegedly vandalised during his absence when the ZETDC slapped him with a lawsuit.

A number of politicians have been taken to court over chocking bills to utility providers in the past few months.

Last week, ZETDC approached the High Court seeking an order to compel Mkwasine Estate to garnish losing MDC Alliance candidate for Mwenezi East, Kudakwashe Bhasikiti’s sugar cane account over an unpaid $133 000 electricity bill.