adminPower and Energy Development Minister Elton Mangoma’s announcement is a huge relief to consumers while it also ensures the power utility does not lose out because it will still be able to recoup what it is owed by its customers.
It is quite refreshing to see that Zesa as an essential service provider has thought long and hard to come up with a workable solution. The decision is beneficial to both the power company and consumers. Given how most of Zesa Holdings’ measures on power issues were unpopular with consumers, we were wondering if the power utility would ever come up with any decision that will impress its millions of customers.
Recently when Zesa rolled out the programme to install pre-paid meters in Bulawayo and other areas there was an outcry from consumers because the power company cut off supplies to those with outstanding bills. Most consumers had bills ranging from $500 to $1 000 and were having difficulties settling their arrears.
It is not a secret that the switch from using the Zimbabwe dollar to multiple foreign currencies in 2009 did bring in some measure of economic stability but liquidity is still a problem.
Zesa’s customers work for companies that are hamstrung by a myriad of challenges ranging from the liquidity crunch in the market and the illegal sanctions imposed by the West.
Companies are struggling to pay workers on time while farmers and individual businesspersons have their own challenges.
So Zesa’s move to cut them off when installing the pre-paid meter until they settle their arrears was certainly out of step.
Before the installation of the pre-paid meters, Zesa had adamantly argued that it would continue to depend on estimates when billing consumers.
The power utility argued that deploying meter readers countrywide will be expensive but cared less about burdening consumers with estimated bills.
Zesa Holdings chief executive officer Engineer Josh Chifamba even suggested that they would have to increase electricity tariffs to be able to deploy adequate meter readers to cover the whole country.
Engineer Chifamba made the remarks while appearing before the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals Management.
These are just some examples of Zesa Holdings’ unpopular decisions.
But Tuesday’s pronouncement by Minister Mangoma marked a departure from what consumers had become accustomed to get from Zesa.
And the idea that any debt owed by customers will be input into the pre-paid meter such that when one buys credit, 20 percent of that money goes towards clearing the arrears.
Minister Mangoma also said consumers would no longer be required to pay the additional cost of a reconnection fee and a down payment to be reconnected.
The idea will work perfectly and will result in a win-win scenario for Zesa Holdings and its customers.
While the customers get their electricity, the power utility will be assured of recovering the $600 million that it is owed.
We now urge Zesa Holdings to move with haste to install the pre-paid meters at premises of all its customers. According to Minister Mangoma, the roll out is expected to be complete within 10 months. Zesa must thrive to meet the 10 months deadline or even be ahead of it if possible.
With pre-paid meters in place, load shedding will be reduced because those without credit in their meters will not have electricity just like when one does not have airtime in their mobile phones, they are not able to make calls.
Consumers will also be more careful and use power sparingly lest they go without it and suffer the resultant inconveniences.
Zesa might not even have to worry about spending a few millions to distribute free energy savers to consumers.
The consumers themselves will be forced to take all necessary measures to save power. They will be forced to change from using incandescent light bulbs to energy savers, switch off geysers when not in use, buy electric kettles instead of boiling water in pots and switch off lights in unoccupied rooms.
Online Reporter