Financial Gazette (Harare)
27 June 2009
Harare — NATIONAL power utility, ZESA Holdings this week said defaulting customers now owe the parastatal more than US$185 million in unsettled bills, some dating back to February this year.
ZESA is facing the threat of disconnections by three regional power companies exporting electricity to Zimbabwe after failing to pay US$57 million owed to utilities in Mozambique, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Together, the three regional suppliers contribute an estimated 50 percent of the country's current power requirements, up from about 35 percent last year.
ZESA Holdings stakeholder relations manager, Fullard Gwasira, told The Financial Gazette that the operations of the power utility had been hamstrung by the cash flow problems emanating from the huge unsettled bills.
"ZESA is owed over US$185 million by defaulting customers since the inception of foreign currency billing in February 2009," Gwasira said.
"If customers pay up, it will lead to the optimal use of Hwange and Kariba power stations as we will be better able to maintain these critical national assets. With funds available, we could import more power thereby leading to a reduction in load shedding," he added.
"The threat of disconnections from regional utilities is very real mindful of the fact that there is a regional power shortage with other utilities vying for the same power, at the same time being ready to pay," said Gwasira.
ZESA has been failing to provide adequate electricity supplies to domestic and industrial consumers for more than one year.
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