ZESA to ease load-shedding: Mangoma
22/03/2012 00:00:00
by Phyllis Mbanje
POWER supplies are expected to increase across the country over the next few
days after ZESA completed upgrades to the Hwange and Kariba power stations,
Energy Minister, Elton Mangoma has said.
Zimbabweans have experienced increased power supply interruptions over the
past two weeks with some areas going for more than 19 hours without
electricity.
The poorer high density suburbs were the hardest-hit with some going for two
days without power.
However, speaking at an investment conference in Harare Thursday Mangoma
said the situation should improve after generation capacity at Hwange and
Kariba power stations was increased by 4 and 6 units respectively.
Mangoma also said the ministry would soon launch a major expansion project
at Hwange.
“Exciting things are happening there and by the first week of June proposals
for contracts will have been submitted and an evaluation will follow
thereafter,” he said.
Zimbabwe does not generate enough electricity to meet its needs and plugs
the gap with imports from neighbouring countries which are, however,
reducing supplies due to non-payment.
“What are getting from Mozambique is not good enough and we feel that some
people are going behind our backs trying to influence them not to deal with
us but we are neighbors,” Mangoma said.
“Our huge challenge then is servicing that debt and hence it is important
for consumers to own up and pay their bills. We are not backing down from
disconnecting defaulters after all there is $550million of unpaid bills.”
A privately-owned daily recently published a list of 41 senior government
officials including cabinet ministers who allegedly owe the power utility
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Mangoma – who has previously conceded that senior government officials were
among ZESA’s major defaulters — described the “leak” as regrettable but
said more needed to be done to encourage people to pay their bills.
“Zimbabweans have just developed a culture of not wanting to pay. It’s like
they are saying I can get away with not paying,” he said.
“If you are not paying and do not have a payment plan then you are not a
serious economic player.”