VICTORIA FALLS Town Council has sued the resort town’s three leading hotels over outstanding water bills amounting to $383 896,60.
BY SILAS NKALA
In separate lawsuits filed at the Bulawayo High Court on June 4 gleaned by Southern Eye yesterday, the local authority cited Elephant Hills, Victoria Falls Hotel and Kingdom Hotel as defendants.
Council said Elephant Hills owed it $166 457,51 for two water accounts, Victoria Falls Hotel had a debt of $125 676,32 for two water accounts and Kingdom Hotel owed $91 762, 73.
In its declaration, council stated that the three hotels were incorporated in terms of the laws of Zimbabwe to offer accommodation.
The local authority said it supplied the three hotels with water and charged them according to the Urban Councils Act.
Council said Elephant Hills had three accounts with the local authority for water and the fourth for the landlord’s charges, and all accounts were in arrears.
“The water accounts held by the defendant are account 13003270 which is in $1 977,72 arrears and account 13003281 with an outstanding balance of $33 179,08,” the declaration reads.
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“The total arrears for the two water accounts is $35 156,80.
“The landlord’s charges accounts held by the defendant, account number 200327, has an outstanding balance of $27 706,26 and account 2000328 has outstanding balance of $103 594,45.”
The local authority said the total owed for the landlord’s charges was $131 300, 71.
Elephant Hills owes council $166 457,51 for all four accounts.
In the Victoria Falls Hotel case, council said the hotel had three accounts with the local authority, two for water and the third one being for landlord’s charges.
“The water account held by the defendant are account number 13004183 which is in $2 202,41 arrears and 13004184 with an outstanding balance of $25 665,17,” the declaration reads.
“The total for two water accounts is $27 867,58. The landlord’s charges account 2000001 has an outstanding balance of $97 808,74.
Defendant owes a total of $125 676,32 to plaintiff for all the accounts it holds with plaintiff.”
Kingdom Hotel has two accounts with the local authority for water and the landlord’s charges.
The local authority said in the water accounts, Kingdom owed $38 404,63 while in the landlord’s charges the hotel owed $53 358,10, bringing the total owed to $91 762,73.
Council demanded that the three hotels settle their arrears with interest calculated from the date of the issue of summons until completed and full payment costs of the suit on an attorney-client scale.
The hotels are yet to file responses to the lawsuits.
