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Residents threaten to demonstrate against ZESA
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA)
February 19, 2010

Comment

The undertaking by the Competition and Tariff Commission to investigate the operations of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and other service providers, while long overdue, seems to be the right step towards improving service provision nationally and shows an appreciation or residents' misgiving about the hocus-pocus operational manner of many a service provider. The move is belated because residents' pockets have already been ransacked as transparency and accountability within parastatals in the country has become an alien feature. Just by listening to the talks in the streets, markets and banks, it is clear that residents are unbeat and optimistic that the day of reckoning has come for parastatals and other service providers in the country. This will perhaps change things for the better, it is hoped. Currently, statistics reveal that four out of every five households has experienced the disconnection of their telephone lines. On top of that, a cross section of the residents has also been receiving threats of property seizure or being dragged to the courts should they fail to pay the debts owed for water, electricity or levies or school fees. When many residents who are not privy to the court procedures and terms receive the letters, a deep fear sets in as most residents envision being sent to jail for failure to raise the funds. While it is a fact that services come at a cost and the provision of services is partly the duty of the government, the billing of the service providers is totally disproportional as it leaves residents shortchanged and helpless. So there is need for the commission to put all service providers under microscopic spotlight and probe their operations so as to pave way for accountability and sanity.

Residents speak on:

a. Constituency development
At a ward consultative meeting held at Emganwini over the just ended weekend, residents have expressed the wish that Constituency Development Funds should be channeled towards building a clinic in the neighborhood. Residents have said the absence of a local clinic, let alone a nearby hospital, has for a long time posed a threat to the sustained health of residents in the suburb as they go more than 10 kilometers to get assistance from Nketa and Nkulumane. This has contributed to unnecessary loss of lives, especially for those in the labor of giving birth. The suburb is now thirteen years old and the absence of a clinic has been used by people seeking political office as they held residents at ransom by telling them that when they get into power they will address the issue of the clinic as a critical one. To date nothing has been done and politicians have come and gone. The Minister of Finance in his National Budget presentation allocated USD$ 38 000 for constituency development. The move was appluded by residents as there are a lot of issues that need to be taken care of at the local level. The need for a hospital or clinic has been a song of residents in the neighborhood who have tried unsuccessifully to engage the council which claims to be cash strapped. Their only hope is that through the development funds, the dream may become a reality.

b. High bills for no electricity
In Entumbane, Luveve, Nketa and Emganwini (ward 10, 15, 25 and 26 respectively) residents criticized the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) about the erratic power cuts and requested the parastatal to make available its load shading schedule. The BPRA Ward Chairperson for Luveve (Ward 15), Irene, Irene Dube, said " In Luveve we can safely say that we only have electricity fourr times a month because Saturday is the only day without load shedding. Due to the fact that we do not have electricity most of the times, a lot of money is spent on firewood. Shockingly, despite the few hours that we have electricity, the bills are very high." Dube added that the residents desperately want to meet ZESA officials that are in charge of billing before more money is spent unnecessarily on the energy service that is below expectation or promise. The BPRA Chairperson for ward 25, Energy Mujazi said the money that is paid by residents may seem little but services are still not worth the value of their money. " Residents have threatened to demonstrate against ZESA if it does not improve its services in a month," said Majazi. The Vice-Chairperson representing Emganwini (Ward 26), Grace Macheke, said the ward is faced with unique challenge because in one area there are severe power cuts and in the other there is no electrification at all. " We appreciate the meeting that we had this past weekend but we also need an exclusive meeting with ZESA where they will explain what their plans are regarding this matter. Lack of electrification has indirectly killed our environment and encourages deforestation. Soon the residents will deplete the Tshabalala Game Park as they have done with surrounding plots, " said Mathe.

In all ward meetings, residents queried the billing system saying it fails to account for areas that go on for along time with dysfunctional transformers. At the meeting power cuts were the main borne of contention.

For more on the convention and results visit www.bprazim.org

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