adminIt accumulates a monthly electricity bill of $1,7 million, but is only able to pay about $800 000 every month.
Electricity to the council’s nerve centre, the Revenue Hall and Tower Block was cut two weeks ago because of the bill.
Council is now using diesel generators to power the buildings.
In an interview yesterday, Bulawayo’s Mayor, Councillor Thaba Moyo, said councillors had agreed that the long term solution to the Zesa problem lay in the local
authority resuming control of the council-built Bulawayo Thermal Power Station.
“Ever since Zesa took over, the station has been under-utilised and most of the times, it is not working.
“We need to petition the Ministry of Local Government, Rural and Urban Development and the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to facilitate a return of that power station to council,” said Clr Moyo.
He said when council was in charge of electricity generation and distribution, it used to plough back profits into the city.
“Profit made from electricity used to go into a tariff stabilisation reserve that was used to cushion residents against sudden rises in tariffs. We are advocating for a return to that old system,” said Clr Moyo.
He said the short-term solution would be to petition the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to stop charging council commercial rates for power as it was a non-profit making entity.
The latest council report shows that councillors felt the Zesa bill would never be cleared at the present rate of revenue collection and alternatives should be explored.
Clr Moyo said he was concerned about the rate at which council was servicing the Zesa debt.
“The Zesa debt is now $20 million. We have a monthly payment that is lower than the monthly consumption charge. There is a need for a permanent solution to this problem. The financial director should identify areas where council could cut costs and thereafter submit a report in the usual manner,” he said.
The Deputy Mayor, Councillor Amen Mpofu, suggested the use of solar energy at council facilities.
“The use of solar energy in some council facilities can reduce power bills. We can also improve our ability to pay by approaching our parent ministry to help us in recovering Government debts,” said Clr Mpofu.
The chamber secretary, Mrs Sikhangele Zhou, explained that the bulk of council’s electricity bill was generated at the city’s water treatment plants.
It is not the first time that Zesa has disconnected power supplies to council as the local authority’s centres of operation were cut off in January last year after the council failed to settle a $7 million bill.
Power was restored seven months later in July after council agreed to pay the power company $1 million every month to clear the debt. The bill was $9,2 million then.
It has kept increasing despite the payments.
Online Reporter