adminPamela Shumba Chronicle Reporter
RESIDENTS in Bulawayo have called for the complete writing off of bills by TelOne and Zesa, saying they are still overburdened with huge debts that they are unable to pay.TelOne recently announced that it will cancel $257,82 for every account and also write off rentals accrued on all lines that had been disconnected for non-payment or were not working.
Zesa has started crediting electricity consumers with units equivalent to $160 that it promised to write off although indications are that those whose accounts were up to date were being credited with more than 1 000 units.
Speaking in separate interviews on Monday, Bulawayo residents said TelOne and Zesa should have done what the local authorities did.
“The writing off of bills by TelOne and Zesa should have been done in the same manner as the water bills. The Government should have given the two parastatals a directive to completely cancel the bills so that people are able to start over and manage their bills.
“Most people are overburdened by the Zesa and TelOne bills. It is difficult to understand why TelOne would cancel only $257 while some people’s telephone bills are as high as $2 000.
“It does not make a difference,” said Mr Winos Dube, the Bulawayo United Residents Association (Bura) chairperson.
He said his association had written an appeal to the Government through the Minister of State for Bulawayo Province Nomthandazo Moyo to consider the plight of the people owing huge amounts of bills.
“We have made an appeal to the Government through the Minister of State for Bulawayo and the ministries responsible for the service providers in question.
“While we appreciate that the services provided by the parastatals are important, it is important for the Government to remember that a majority of the people in the country, especially in Bulawayo, are not working due to de-industrialisation. It is therefore difficult for them to pay bills,” said Mr Dube.
A resident from Magwegwe North, Mr Christopher Sithole, said it was unfair for TelOne and Zesa to make people pay the huge bills because the amounts were inflated at the time of the introduction of the multi-currency system in February 2009.
“Most of the bills that people are getting from TelOne and Zesa were inflated in 2009 and the problem is that TelOne is engaging debt collectors and worsening the burden that people already have.
“It is unfair for TelOne to engage debt collectors when we are failing to pay their bills. Some bills are still accumulating, despite disconnection of the telephones years back. The Government should intervene on this issue. We also want Zesa, TelOne and the city council to introduce proper billing systems,” said Mr Sithole.
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