adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Zesa has launched an investigation into the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) in Beitbridge after officials went against company policy and refused to register prepaid electricity meters over outstanding debts. Residents yesterday said they were now relying on generators for power.
Residents said they had been told that after installation of the meters, 20 percent of the money they paid each time they recharged would be deducted towards the debts they accrued when they were still using the fixed charge system.
However, residents said they were turned away at the ZETDC offices after being told that they needed to settle their debts in full, before they could use the new gadgets.
The parastatal is supplying electricity to more than 3,500 housing units across Beitbridge district.
Beitbridge Residents’ Association chairperson Lawrence Tshili said they were still engaging ZETDC over the issue.
He also accused officials at the Beitbridge office for failing to attend to their concerns.
“We are not happy with this development which we feel is willful defiance of government policy where debts are concerned.
“They are refusing to register some households claiming that the owners need to settle their bills before they can make use of the prepaid meters. Imagine a case where one is said pay up $3,000 before power is restored to their properties,” said Tshili.
He said the residents were calling on the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Dzikamai Mavhaire, to intervene.
He said government should conduct an audit or investigate the billing system in Beitbridge where rates are “unreasonably high” and most of the people were said to be in arrears.
“We cannot have a situation where everyone is said to be in arrears. The Minister of Energy should investigate this issue,” he said.
Zesa Holdings spokesman Fullard Gwasira said those refusing to register the prepaid meters were operating outside the company policy.
“We are going to investigate the matter at Beitbridge. The official company policy is that those with outstanding debts will have them being fed into the prepaid meters. Whenever they top up energy, 20 percent will be deducted and channeled towards offsetting their debts to ZETDC.
“Where there are challenges people should contact the next higher office, or my office,” said Gwasira.
Online Reporter