Outrage over hefty allowances for ZESA executives
By Tichaona Sibanda
26 March 2012
The director of the Harare Residents Trust (HRT) has condemned the recent
hefty allowances awarded to ZESA executives, saying the pay deal is an
insult to the hard-pressed consumers who have to deal with daily power cuts.
The top hierarchy at the utility power company has increased their
allowances by up to 75 percent, backdated to 2009, according to the
Financial Gazette.
However the weekly paper said allowances for non-managerial staff have been
slashed by 35 percent. Precious Shumba the director of HRT told SW Radio
Africa on Monday that this is the reason why his organization has repeatedly
criticized ZESA holdings for poor management and incompetence.
‘Our criticism has been without malice. It has been informed by the
situation on the ground. ZESA has been able to mobilize resources to
rehabilitate the electricity distribution network. They also had the
capacity to reform the billing system, but the challenge they face is what
to prioritize with the money they have,’ Shumba said.
He added: ‘They are now more focused on personal interests rather than
institutional interests. The economic revival of Zimbabwe is based on ZESA’s
ability to generate enough power to meet the demand of various stakeholders,
including industries.’
The country produces about 1320 megawatts of electricity and requires 2100
megawatts. The balance is imported from Mozambique, Zambia and the DRC.
Until March last year South Africa’s Eskom supplied 400 megawatts.
ZESA’s development manager, Ikhupuleng Dube, revealed that the country will
continue to have serious load shedding and power outages until 2014.
The power company is struggling to raise the US$125 million needed to repair
the outdated Hwange Power Station generators, with US$8 billion needed for
the country, to restore optimum power production levels.
There has been growing outrage in the country following the disclosure of
the names of top government officials who have defaulted on their power
bills. The Daily News has named and shamed several cabinet ministers and
Robert Mugabe and his wife.
The outstanding payments by several top government officials, is believed to
be over $500 million. Mugabe and his wife Grace owe ZESA over US$300,000 as
of December 2011.