ZESA announces 30% increase in electricity charges
By Tererai Karimakwenda
18 February, 2011
Charges for electricity have gone up again for struggling Zimbabweans, this
time by a shocking 30 percent. A report in the state run Herald newspaper
said the Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Commission (ZERC) had approved the
30 percent increase in domestic electricity tariffs, with effect from
February 1st, 2011.
According to The Herald the increase means families that were paying $30 a
month will now have to pay about $40. New rates for businesses have not yet
been announced.
ZERC spokesperson, Peter Mufunda, said in a statement Wednesday that the
increases were meant to help ZESA “recover operating costs” because ZESA
Holdings was owed about $450 million last year. He also explained that the
charges needed to reflect their costs.
But Simbarashe Moyo, chairperson of the Combined Harare Residents
Assocoation (CHRA), said they were deeply concerned by such a large increase
because families were already struggling to pay their monthly bills, before
the increase. He blasted ZESA for increasing charges at a time when people
were going without power for days. “It is no longer load shedding. It is
simply power cut-off,” said Moyo.
He explained that a commission tasked with studying ZESA’s handling of
electricity in the country recently recommended that tariffs be lowered.
“But we were shocked to hear there was a 30 percent increase instead.”
CHRA is planning to mobilize their members ‘to fight’ the increase in ZESA
charges. Moyo said CHRA is also concerned about the deforestation that will
increase as even more people cut down trees for firewood. The group also
fears that prices for other goods will soon go up, as businesses are forced
to pay more for their electricity.
ZESA has for some time been disconnecting power from those who do not pay.
The issue raised such tensions in Bulawayo last year that ZESA engineers
were attacked by residents in the high density areas.
The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Elton Mangoma, said a ‘smart
metering’ system would start next month, where families are billed only for
the electricity used, instead of estimating usage.
But unfortunately this will not help the many families whose income can
barely cover their rent.