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Harare Bureau
THE decision by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority to exempt its 5,000 employees and pensioners from paying for electricity is costing the power utility $10 million every year, it has emerged. Staffers from the Ministry of Energy and Power Development are also not paying electricity bills further straining Zesa. Zesa employees and pensioners are entitled to $160 worth of electricity units every month while staffers in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development have a monthly entitlement of $100.
This was revealed by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company managing director, Engineer Julian Chinembiri while giving evidence to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy yesterday.
Zanu-PF MP for Gutu Central, Cde Lovemore Matuke chairs the committee.
The committee demanded that the power utility provides a full list of all the people who were exempted from paying electricity by Monday next week.
“Zesa employees are getting $160 worth of units per month and then the Ministry of Energy and Power Development are getting $100 worth of units,” said Eng Chinembiri.
“At Zesa our employees are slightly above 5,000 including pensioners. I don’t have the figures for ministry staff. We were just given a list of all the people from the ministry. Everyone, from the minister, is exempted.”
The revelation infuriated legislators who queried how the struggling power utility could afford to continue extending benefits to former employees.
Others questioned how employees could be given $160 worth of electricity yet in low density areas residents spent at most $60 in electricity cost per month.
Residents in areas like Mabelreign, Marlborough and Mt Pleasant spend about $40 at most on electricity while in the high density areas they fork out about $25 per month.
The majority of Zesa employees stay in high density areas but are still entitled to about $160 worth of electricity units.
Electricity worth about $160 is enough to run high-powered welding machines.
The major bone of contention was why officials at the Ministry of Energy and Power Development were entitled to electricity exemption yet civil servants in other ministries did not enjoy such benefits from their ministries.
“Why people are given benefits, we also need to look at the human aspect of our business that they need to be motivated. These are the people who know how to steal electricity. So if we can give somebody and then they steal that will be wrong.
“So it’s something at least to motivate employees that are in this industry. At least we give you this benefit so that at least you can also give your maximum service to the utility. I think that was the idea,” said Eng Chinembiri.
Online Reporter