News / National
Judge blasts ZPC over Chivayo's solar project
20 Jun 2019 at 08:06hrs | Views
High Court judge Justice Tawanda Chitapi has castigated the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) for its lackadaisical approach to finding common ground with Intratrek Zimbabwe fronted by Wicknell Chivayo to resolve a four-year impasse over the scandal-tainted Gwanda Solar Project.
Justice Chitapi said ZPC's continued refusal to sit down with Chivayo to resolve the issue was a clear indication that the power company's move is driven by "selfish, self-serving and ulterior reasons".
"The respondent (ZPC), with due respect as evidenced by its depositions, is appealing the judgment for selfish, self-serving and ulterior reasons. It is no wonder that the proposed grounds of appeal have no prospects of success. The motive for appealing is improper. It is disgraceful that national projects are stalled by contracting parties having merry dances in the courts instead of dancing in boardrooms and at the project sites and seeing the projects coming to fruition," Justice Chitapi said.
The judge made the remarks in his judgment in which he granted Chivayo leave to seek an order to compel ZPC to come to the table and discuss how the Gwanda solar project should proceed with a view to resolving the country's power crisis.
The ruling followed ZPC's indication that it would not discuss the project given that there is a an appeal pending at the Supreme Court challenging a High Court decision which ruled that the 2015 agreement was still binding.
Justice Chitapi said ZPC's continued refusal to sit down with Chivayo to resolve the issue was a clear indication that the power company's move is driven by "selfish, self-serving and ulterior reasons".
"The respondent (ZPC), with due respect as evidenced by its depositions, is appealing the judgment for selfish, self-serving and ulterior reasons. It is no wonder that the proposed grounds of appeal have no prospects of success. The motive for appealing is improper. It is disgraceful that national projects are stalled by contracting parties having merry dances in the courts instead of dancing in boardrooms and at the project sites and seeing the projects coming to fruition," Justice Chitapi said.
The judge made the remarks in his judgment in which he granted Chivayo leave to seek an order to compel ZPC to come to the table and discuss how the Gwanda solar project should proceed with a view to resolving the country's power crisis.
The ruling followed ZPC's indication that it would not discuss the project given that there is a an appeal pending at the Supreme Court challenging a High Court decision which ruled that the 2015 agreement was still binding.
Source - newsday
