BINDURA residents have sued the municipality for contempt of court after the latter defied a court order stopping it from disconnecting water over unpaid bills. REPORT BY KUPAKWASHE MAKONYE OWN CORRESPONDENT
In November last year, residents obtained a provisional court order against the local authority after it went on a crusade disconnecting water and confiscating meters from debtors’ homes.
In a statement over the weekend, the residents’ association said: “Bindura Residents’ Association (Bira) on the 14th of November 2012, made an urgent court application to Bindura Magistrates’ Court to have Bindura Council compelled to stop forthwith water disconnections.
“The application was granted through issuance of a provisional court order (Number C641\12) on the 16th of November. The court order directed the council to reconnect disconnected houses and to return removed water meters and also to stop forthwith, proceedings of water disconnections,” reads part of the statement.
Council, however, defied the court order and continued with disconnections and confisticating water meters.
“Bira made another application of contempt of court against the Bindura Municipality. Hearing of the two applications was on the 17th of December 2012 and postponed to the 24th of December 2012.”
