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Blessings Chidakwa, Midlands Bureau
THE cash-strapped Gweru City Council is demanding more than $5 million from the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) which it says is for rates for land lying under Zesa powerlines.

The case is set to trigger an avalanche of litigations against Zesa, which has not been paying for land that lies under its powerlines in the different cities and towns.

In its argument, Gweru City Council, which ironically owes Zesa more than $24 million in unpaid electricity bills, says there are large tracts of its land which cannot be used because the land is under powerlines.

High voltage power cables from Kariba Hydro Power Station pass through Gweru City, rendering that space unusable.

According to a mid-year performance report released this week, Gweru City Council billed Zesa about $5,1 million which it says is for rates for the first half of the year.

“The city council included way leaves in its last budget. Way leaves pertain to rates in lieu of land lying below Zesa electricity lines, whose land cannot be put into any other use. Our billing in respect of such land was budgeted for about $5 million for the period under review. Our actual billing for the same came to $5,1 million” reads the report.

The report, however, highlighted that Zesa is disputing the billing and have approached the courts challenging the matter. “It must, however, be noted that Zesa is disputing the legal framework empowering the local authorities the right to charge them way leaves and the matter is before the courts,” read the report.

Meanwhile, Gweru City Council has started consultations with the aim of introducing pre-paid water metres as a way of containing the ballooning debts owed by residents and industry.

Speaking during a meet-the-residents meeting at town hall yesterday, the Town Clerk, Ms Elizabeth Gwatipedza said the introduction of prepaid water meters would help council to recover the $55 million it is owed by residents and industry.

“The prepaid metres will enable us to clear the arrears by deducting some money from the money paid by water consumers towards buying water just as what Zesa is doing,” she said.

Most residents are, however, against the introduction of prepaid water metres.