Mashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A LAND surveying company has dragged Gweru City Council (GCC) to court for failing to settle a debt amounting to more than $1 million for services rendered to the local authority between January and August last year.

C Mandaza t/a Terrasurveys, which is the plaintiff in the matter, last week filed summons at the Bulawayo High Court citing the local authourity as the sole defendant.

The land surveying firm is demanding about $1,19 million from the municipality for surveying several stands in Mkoba 21, Northlea suburb and Gweru Township.

“The plaintiff is demanding payment of a total sum of about $1,19 million being the amount due and owing in respect of land surveying services rendered to the defendant,” said Terrasurveys in its summons.

In court papers filed through its lawyers Chitere, Chidawanyika and Partners, the surveying firm said the municipality had failed, refused or neglected to settle the debt.

Terrasurveys wants the council to be ordered to pay the debt with five percent interest from the time the projects commenced to the time of full and final payment.

It also wants council to pay the cost of the suit at attorney-client scale.

In its first claim, Terrasurveys said on June 24, 2014, it surveyed 12 residential stands in Northlea suburb before preparing a report for submission to the surveyor-general’s office for approval.

“In terms of the agreement between the two parties, the defendant would remunerate plaintiff for the services rendered at a prescribed rate set out by the Survey Regulations Board, Circular No. 1 of 2009, which is $5,965,05,” said Terrasurveys’ lawyers.

In the second claim, council engaged Terrasurveys on January 13, 2014, to survey 38 stands in Gweru Township at a cost of $13,410,15.

In the third claim, Terrasurveys is demanding $1,172,928,83 from the local authority for surveying a housing project in Mkoba 21.

The council has not yet filed a notice to enter an appearance to defend.

Gweru City Council has been rocked by corruption allegations and it has not paid middle managers for the past six months.

Ninety percent of revenue collected by the council is diverted to pay workers’ salaries.

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