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NewsDay

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Will pay what we can afford — Nkomo’s Da’guiar Tyre Services

Politics
One of Vice-President (VP) John Nkomo’s Da’guiar Tyre Services which is being sued by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) over a debt of about $8 000 says it is querying the bill but will pay what it can afford to the local authority. In an interview yesterday, VP Nkomo’s son, Jabulani, who is also a […]

One of Vice-President (VP) John Nkomo’s Da’guiar Tyre Services which is being sued by the Bulawayo City Council (BCC) over a debt of about $8 000 says it is querying the bill but will pay what it can afford to the local authority.

In an interview yesterday, VP Nkomo’s son, Jabulani, who is also a director in the company, said it was unfortunate the matter had taken a “political” angle, but their situation was nothing out of the ordinary. “I suppose the issue of the old man being a leader from the region is what made it get such attention,” Jabulani told NewsDay yesterday.

“You have to understand that council says it is owed millions of dollars and the bills are not clear. We have queried that bill, but as a responsible corporate citizen we continue paying each month what we can. It is important to realise that like any other company we are operating in the same economic environment and whatever affects other companies affects us.”

Jabulani said there were several companies in the city which were owing the local authority “huge sums”, but their cases were not highlighted because they were owned by ordinary citizens.

BCC had taken the company to the High Court seeking payment of $8 425,43 in an unpaid rates since 2009 as the cash-strapped local authority sought to recover $77 million from account holders. In case number 1046/11, VP Nkomo’s company is alleged to have not paid the city council from March 2009 up to February this year.

“The plaintiff claim against defendant is for payment of the sum of $8 425,43 being the sum of rates levied by the plaintiff in respect of the defendants’ immovable property being Da’guair Tyre Services situated at 123 Main Street, which are in respect of the period between March 2009 to February 2011, which sum despite demand defendant fails to pay,” submitted BCC through their lawyers Majoko and Majoko Legal practitioners. Da’guair has not filed any notice to defend the lawsuit.