BY CHARLES LAITON
Former Deputy Chief Secretary to the Office of the President and Cabinet Justin Mupamhanga has been taken to court by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), over a $152 650 power debt for electricity supplied to his Argyle Park Farm in Bindura.
Through its lawyers, Chihambakwe, Mutizwa and Partners, the power utility petitioned the High Court, claiming payment of the outstanding amount. Mupamhanga is yet to respond to the litigation.
According to the court papers, Mupamhanga is said to have failed, neglected and or refused to settle the power debts for his electricity accounts being account numbers 2203880, 2286327, 2286331 and 2286332, prompting the power utility to approach the court for recourse.
“The defendant (Mupamhanga) is indebted to the plaintiff (ZETDC) at May 17, 2019 in the sum of $152 649, 58 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 power utility said in its declaration.
ZETDC further said despite several letters of demands to Mupamhanga, who was Deputy Chief Secretary during former President Robert Mugabe’s rule, no action towards settling the debt had been taken.
“The defendant has failed, neglected or refused to pay the above sum/amount despite 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 and legal costs on an attorney-client scale,” ZETDC said. The matter is pending.
