adminSukulwenkosi Dube Plumtree Correspondent
THE Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development Patson Mbiriri, has said some institutions in the country using the old meter system were using electricity without settling their bills thereby crippling the operations of the power utility.
In an interview at Khalanyoni Secondary School in Mangwe, Mbiriri said institutions should pay their electricity bills to allow Zesa to extend its power grid to rural communities.
He said his ministry was working towards installing prepaid meters in all institutions for consumers to use only the electricity they pay for.
Mbiriri said some institutions were taking advantage of the old meter system which avails power in advance to consume electricity without paying for it.
He said the bills paid to Zesa were crucial to the ministry as they help extend the power grid to rural communities.
“Six percent of each bill paid to Zesa goes towards this project. Non-payment of bills means that the Rural Electrification Fund becomes crippled. Each month we get about $4 million to $6 million raised through bills paid to Zesa,” he said.
Mbiriri, however, said they were facing challenges in installing prepaid meters in rural homesteads as villagers could not raise money for them. He said this was delaying the process of having all consumers under the prepaid system.
Speaking at the commissioning of the Khalanyoni Electrification Project at the school on Thursday, REF board vice-chairperson, Cecilia Chitiyo said:
“The rate of electrifying rural institutions has been slower than expected as a number of institutions are still not electrified which comprise government and public institutions. However, in the next few months we would have finished electrifying all institutions in rural communities within 15 kilometres of the existing grid.”
She said areas that are distant from the grid will be electrified using solar energy.
Speaking at the same event Matabeleland South REF provincial manager, Silbah Zimwara said 764 institutions had been electrified in the province leaving 236 to be serviced.
She said eight clinics were operating in the province without power. Zimwara said 229 primary schools have been electrified while 210 remained without power.
She said 41 solar mini grids have been installed in various institutions of the province while 60 mobile solar units have been distributed.
“We’ve started implementing the biogas programme this year. So far four have been done in the province,” said Zimwara.
A number of key institutions in the province are still to be electrified. These include Mphoengs Border Post in Mangwe District which has been operating without power for several years.
Online Reporter