Write off ZESA bills based on estimates: Residents
http://www.thezimbabwean.co.uk
Residents here have implored the State Enterprises and Parastatals
parliamentary portfolio committee to order the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply
Authority to write off bills based on estimates – saying they are unfair.
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Speaking at a meeting held by the committee to collect views of ZESA clients
on the operations of the parastatal, angry residents said they had been
receiving “out-of-this-world bills from ZESA” based only on estimations, and
not accurate readings.
“For the past four months I have been away – but what is shocking is that my
bills show figures that are more than those I would have when living at
home. To me it sounds very unjustified to have a bill marked as an estimate
with astronomical figures,” said Charles Mabasa from Gweru’s plush suburb of
Kopje.
Other residents said it was high time ZESA doubled efforts to allow the use
of pre-paid meters. The meters allow consumers to make prior payments for
exact units of power they intend to use for a particular period and top up
on a needs basis.
“Pre-paid meters are important to us because they give a fair charge per
particular amounts of electricity. ZESA should simply introduce them and
stop this unfairness on estimated bills,” another resident said.
Larry Mavhima, the chairperson of the committee, promised that all concerns
would be forwarded to other stakeholders and debated in parliament for
recourse.
“Feedback on progress on that matter will be brought to the people by their
MPs,” said Mavhima, who is also the legislator for Zvishavane- Runde.
ZESA spokesperson Fullard Gwasira has said while everything was being done
to introduce pre-paid meters, the power parastatal at the moment is not able
to ensure that it collects actual meter readings in all households across
the country due to lack of manpower.
He said the matter was being looked into, and urged consumers to use
electricity sparingly and pay their bills to ensure that ZESA was enabled to
ensure adequate supplies.