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Zesa increases load shedding
Moses Matenga, NewsDay
September 04, 2013

https://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/09/04/zesa-increases-load-shedding/

Power utility company Zesa Holdings has increased its load-shedding in different suburbs around Harare amid reports that consumers are now reluctant to pay especially after pronouncements that electricity bills should be scrapped.

Vice-President Joyce Mujuru recently said it was Zanu-PF’s wish to cancel debts owed by residents following the slashing of water bills by all local authorities.

A senior manager within the power utility told NewsDay yesterday that there was reluctance among consumers not using prepaid meters to pay in anticipation of the cancellation of their debts by government.

As a result, the official said, the company was failing to import electricity because of cash constraints and other challenges.

“There is now reluctance among consumers because of the directive that there will be cancellation of debts,” said the official.

“Some will not pay even if they have the capacity to do so in anticipation of the cancellation by government.”

Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira said the cause of the power outages were now in the public domain.

“People need to be reminded. We said it last week that we were having problems and we are not importing electricity,” said Gwasira who then promised to provide a detailed statement.

He was yet to issue the statement by the time of going to print.

Statistics availed to NewsDay show that a total of 1 335 megawatts were being generated in Hwange, Kariba, Harare, Munyati and Bulawayo while nothing was being imported.

This is against the desired 2 100 megawatts.

Zesa last week said the increased load shedding was due to reduced output from its power generation.

Residents yesterday took to social media to express their anger over power cuts.

Fungai Machirori complained on her twitter account, saying Zesa was now behaving “like a cheating lover”.

“Zesa is back to acting like a cheating lover. Home after 10pm and gone before 5am. I can’t do this anymore Zesa. Just tell me where we stand,” Machirori wrote.

Another resident, using the account name Keith Ephraim on Twitter expressed his anger saying: “Escaped my Zesaless house for the library only to be turned away because there have no water. I am not shocked and it’s rather disturbing.”

In Tynwald, residents said on Monday power went out early in the morning and was only switched on around nine in the evening. In Glen View, it was the same story with residents saying the power cuts were now getting out of hand.

“It’s now double trouble for us as residents. No water, no electricity and I wonder how people will survive,” said Evelyn Chirandu of Cranborne. It’s very rare to have power cuts this side maybe because of the proximity to the army barracks, but it has been close to two days now without power,” she added.

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