By Rawlings Magede
Energy Minister, Fortune Chasi recently outlawed the fitting of new electric geysers in a move aimed at reducing demand for electricity and encourage the use of renewable sources of energy. The Minister announced this in line with regulations contained in Statutory Instrument 235 of 2019.How this is going to be monitored and effected remains a complex puzzle. While such pronouncements are positive and seek to save power, the Minister was rather mum on how it was going to be enforced. The announcement follow an earlier communication on the breakdown of the Hwange power plant hence the need to increase load shedding.
In October this year, the power utility increased its tariffs by over 320 percent which translates to 162, 16 cents kilowatt hour. The justification for the hike was that the power utility needed to improve power supply. A month later after the astronomical hike, consumers are still exposed to more than 10 hours without power. In the past the energy Minister has threatened to lift the lid and shame Zanu pf bigwigs who owe the power utility a total of $300 million in unpaid electricity bills. This call however seems to be falling on deaf ears as none of those who owe the power utility has settled their bills. Ultimately it is the consumer who is made to pay the huge price of paying high tariffs. All these seemingly much ado about nothing concerns exposes the double standards by the power utility. On one hand, it has a list of those who owe it millions but for some reason such individuals continue to enjoy regular power supply while on the other it has a loyal consumer, who despite being consistent in paying bills is made to embrace more than 10 hours without power.
Recently, a High court judge, Justice Mary Zimba-Dube made a ruling that ordered Local Government,Public Works and National Housing Minister, July Moyo to pay $306 793 for electricity supplied at his Mavesere farm in Kwekwe. The power utility is owed millions of dollars by mostly ZANU PF members. The ruling by the high court comes at a time when the power utility has also taken former Defence Minister, Sydney Sekeremayi over a $327 481 bill in respect to his Ulva farm. The list of politicians who owe the power spills into millions of dollars. While the power utility has increased its tariffs and instigated complete blackouts across the country, its failure to recover debts owed by politicians has led many to question its sincerity in recovering debts.
Expecting too much from ZETDC?
ZETDC is a State Enterprise and Parastatal (SEP) owned by the state on behalf of the public. In terms of Section 195 and 195 of the constitution, state controlled commercial entities are expected to maintain commercial viability and adopt generally accepted standards of good governance in their operations. Over the years the imposition of retired military personnel to serve in the boards of parastatals has greatly contributed to the decay of state run entities. The individuals appointed into these boards are not appointed based on merit but on the basis that they are either war veterans or retired military personnel. Besides the imposition of such individuals to oversee the effective running of parastatals,ZETDC is also beset by a wide range of crippling factors that include vandalism, non-payment of bills by political elites and dubious tender processes. While Minister Chasi has made everyone believe that once the debt owed to power utility is paid up, normal power supplies will resume, that is not the case. Within the power utility are deep seated problems that range from maladministration to appointing grossly incompetent people to superintend over a power utility company that is already in a crisis. The unwarranted increase in tariffs will not translate into availability of power for the consumer but huge perks for those in the board and senior management. The unjustified hike also seeks to make the consumer pay the huge price of inconvenience that has been instigated by the reluctance of handful political elites to pay their bills.
In the final analysis the power crisis must be understood in its rightful context. We do not have power in the country not because the general public has failed to settle their bills. It is there because of the deep seated problems at the power utility such as an inept management that failed to embrace the need for renewable energy years ago and an incompetent board of appointees who continue to run down the entity by getting hefty perks.
Rawlings Magede is a Development Practitioner who writes here in his personal capacity. He is contactable on vamagede@gmail.com
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