Kwekwe defies court order

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KWEKWE City Council has defied several court orders barring it from cutting water supplies to defaulters and instead intensified the exercise in a bid to recover over $26 million owed in outstanding water bills.

KWEKWE City Council has defied several court orders barring it from cutting water supplies to defaulters and instead intensified the exercise in a bid to recover over $26 million owed in outstanding water bills.

by BLESSED MHLANGA

The water cuts are reportedly being led by city treasurer Rejoice Maweni, although Kwekwe mayor Matenda Madzoke and his councillors have distanced themselves from the exercise.

Matenda Madzoke

“During full council some two months ago, this matter was discussed and the town clerk [Emmanuel Musara] told council that it was illegal to disconnect water supplies without a court order and that is the position that guides us,” Madzoke said.

But council workers claimed they were ordered by their management to clamp down on defaulters in order to raise money for their salaries. This comes as the same council has approached the Constitutional Court seeking an order compelling the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa) to stop disconnecting its water supplies.

Zinwa cut off water supplies to Kwekwe last November after the local authority had accumulated a huge bill.

The council argued that water was a basic right and that the disconnections contravened Section 77 of the Constitution.