By Paul Nyathi|It appears the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company is in the business of distributing electricity for free to ministers and ZANU PF bigwigs while heavily harassing ordinary citizens on their electricity bills.
The power utility company has in the last few weeks been taking former ministers and ZANU PF bosses to court to recover outstanding electricity bills hitting tens of thousands of dollars raising questions why the bills were ever allowed to go up that high in the first place.
Former Women Affairs, Gender and Community Development minister, Nyasha Chikwinya is the latest bigwig to be taken to court over an outstanding $31 765 energy bill owing to the Zetdc.
Through its lawyers Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, the power utility petitioned the High Court on Thursday, claiming payment of the outstanding amount. The former Mutare South legislator (Zanu PF) is yet to respond to the litigation and the matter is pending.
According to the court papers, Chikwinya allegedly failed, neglected and or refused to settle the amount despite numerous demands.
“The defendant (Chikwinya) is indebted/liable to the plaintiff (Zetdc) as at August 31, 2018 in the sum of $31 765, 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, for account number 2249447,” the power utility said in its declaration.
“The defendant has failed, neglected or refused to pay the above sum/amount despite written demand. By reason of the said failure, neglect 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.”
Some ordinary poor citizens go for long periods without electricity after being disconnected or put on prepaid meters for defaulting payments by just a month while the rich ministers are let loose to use the imported power for free with no recourse.
The power company owes South Africa huge amounts for electricity imported from that country while the “chefs” enjoy use of the power without paying for it.