Dairy milk processor Dendairy Limited has taken a unit of ZESA Holdings to court for allegedly refusing to either refund or credit the company with power worth more than US$236 000.
The Kwekwe-based company filed summons at the High Court last week citing the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) as the defendant.
Dendairy is seeking an order to compel the electricity distribution arm of ZESA to refund US$236 966,51 worth of electricity or alternatively credit its power account with energy worth that amount.
Through its lawyer, Mutatu and Partners, it argues that despite having been overpaid, ZETDC has neglected, failed or refused to refund or credit its account.
In 2015, ZETDC and Dendairy entered into a secure power supply agreement valid for one year.
In terms of the agreement, Dendairy was charged higher rates for consumption of electricity.
“In 2015 and at Kwekwe, plaintiff and defendant entered into a secure power supply agreement and it was valid for one year up to 31 December 2015. Upon the expiry of the agreement, plaintiff did not renew it, but defendant continued to charge higher rates for electricity consumption in terms of the expired agreement,” said Dendairy in its summons.
ZETDC has not yet filed a notice to enter an appearance to defend.
Dendairy opened in 2004, processing sour milk sold mainly in Redcliff and Kwekwe, but has grown to also supply long-life milk countrywide.
The company has moved into exporting its range of milk products to Mozambique, especially that country’s Tete province.
Dendairy, which employs over 2 000 workers, gets most of its raw milk supplies from dairy farmers in Gweru and Kwekwe. Financial Gazette