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Amanda Chikari, Midlands Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) has restored full supplies to Kwekwe municipality, days after council took the authority to court for disconnecting, without a court order, water supplies over a $1,5 million debt.
Kwekwe Mayor Councillor Matenda Madzoke confirmed the latest development yesterday.
“Water taps were re-opened on Saturday. Earlier in April Zinwa had restricted our water supply and since then we have been pumping less. On May 31 this year one of their officials from Gweru came and disconnected water supply for the whole of Kwekwe without our knowledge and even a court order. Following a full council meeting we held that very day it was resolved that we sue the water authority because what they did was unlawful,” he said.
Clr Madzoke said last year council was ordered by the High Court to pay $900 000 towards settling the Zinwa water bill, an order he said they have failed to honour due to dwindling cash inflows.
He said because of council creditors like Redcliff and their own residents and companies that owed them in excess of $15 million in unpaid water and rates services — they have been struggling to honour the Zinwa debt.
“In 2013 the government ordered us to cancel all the debts and we complied and that made it impossible for us to settle our debts because from that time, residents were no longer making any efforts to settle their debts,” he said.
“Other government institutions like Zinwa didn’t take heed of the instruction resulting in our arrears accumulating. We have been trying to clear the debt but we are failing because Redcliff owes us over $10 million and we again owe Zesa $12 million. “The disconnection of water supplies by Zinwa for that one week while illegal had forced residents to seek water from unprotected sources, a development that could have led to an outbreak of water-borne diseases especially in the high density areas like Redcliff, Amaveni and Mbizo.”
Kwekwe City Council, through its lawyers Mutatu and Partners, filed an urgent chamber application at the Bulawayo High Court citing Zinwa as the respondent.
In her founding affidavit, Ms Lucia Mkandla, who is Kwekwe City Council’s chamber secretary, said it was illegal for Zinwa to disconnect water without a court order. She said the council filed an application at the High Court and served it upon Zinwa on May 23 this year.
No date has been set by the High Court for the hearing.
@amanda49
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