Jonathan Moyo fails to pay electricity bill

If Twitter likes could be converted into cash, exiled former Cabinet minister Jonathan Moyo would trade his to pay the $32 398, 59 he is owing the Zimbabwe Electricity and Distribution Company (ZETDC)

Moyo has been hit with a civil suit after allegedly failing electricity arrears for his Mazowe Farm.

Moyo, who is represented by his wife Beatrice, has since approached the High Court with an application for condonation for late filing of his response. He claimed in his papers that he failed to promptly respond to the matter because he is outside Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe Electricity and Distribution Company (ZETDC) is claiming payment of $32 398, 59 owed by Moyo as at February 8, for electricity supplied at the former minister’s special request.

“It was not applicant’s deliberate intention to file his papers out of time and it is applicant’s convection that he has a genuine defence to the respondent’s (ZETDC) claim in the main matter and therefore on the basis of that genuine defence applicant’s prospects of successfully defending the claim in the main matter are high,” Moyo’s wife said.

“Applicant (Moyo) feels that it would not be in the interest of justice that this matter is decided on a technicality. Applicant acted swiftly once the full facts of the main case came to his attention

“In the circumstances applicant humbly prays for condonation of the non-filing of an appearance to defend and upliftment of the bar to his appearance to defend.”
Moyo narrated the period and constraints experienced during the filing of papers that hindered prompt response.

“Going by the summons served on applicant’s (Moyo) employee where he was called to answer to a claim for payment of $32 398, 59 relating to electricity supplied by ZETDC in the main matter, the summons afforded the applicant 10 days to file an appearance to defend from the date of service of summons.