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Zesa pulls plug on Kwekwe

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KWEKWE City Council has turned to Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere for help after they were plunged into darkness when Zesa switched them off over an electricity debt.

KWEKWE City Council has turned to Local Government minister Saviour Kasukuwere for help after they were plunged into darkness when Zesa switched them off over an electricity debt.

BY BLESSED MHLANGA

zesa

Civic Centre is currently running without power after Zesa pulled the plug on all council offices on Wednesday to force the local authority to settle a $12 million power debt, which continues to balloon.

Mayor Matenda Madzoke confirmed the development, saying he had tried to engage the power utility to restore power supplies without success.

“I had a meeting with the Zesa general manager for the southern region and he said the power utility had no option but to cut us off because they want payments. They have since refused to listen to our pleas,” he said.

Madzoke said he had since engaged Kasukuwere, to use his authority to force the power utility to restore services.

Zesa, through its lawyer, Tendai Masawi, reached a deal with council, which would have seen the local authority paying $30 000 monthly towards clearing the $12 million debt following a court order declaring the debt due.

Madzoke, however, said the council could not service the debt unless they were paid $17 million owed to them by the defunct Ziscosteel and another $2 million owed by Redcliff Municipality.

“I am going to have a meeting this afternoon with the minister and we will discuss and see how he can help us. We are owed by Redcliff and Ziscosteel for water supplies delivered from 2009 and without receiving those payments we might not be able to pay our debt,” he said.

Council property is at risk of being attached and sold off to recover the debt on the strength of a High Court judgment.