ZESA has embarked on a nationwide blitz on defaulters to recover its money including disconnections and blocking defaulters from opening new accounts using different addresses.
The power utility blacklisted debtors to recover its money as it is owed over $1 billion by domestic, mining, industrial and other users.
ZESA Spokesman Mr. Fullard Gwasira said the power utility has embarked on a cocktail of measures to recover the revenue that is locked with debtors.
“ZESA is taking measures that include blacklisting, installations of payment meters for domestic consumer and small institutions, installation of smart meters for medium an large power users that consume 100 amps and above”, said Gwasira.
Mr Gwasira said that blacklisting is part of credit control as it is done to flag out customers with a deviant behavior from taking their bad practice of not paying up debts and then open up new accounts elsewhere.
The power utility would be in a position to pay for power imports if consumers settle their bills so that ZESA would efficiently provide service by ensuring a good credit rating with its external suppliers of electricity and also ensure good infrastructural maintenance and procurement of adequate inputs, such as coal for electricity generation.
ZESA recently switched of power for small scale miners with arrears in Midlands Province demanding full settlement of debt in forex.
Chairperson of Small Scale Miners Association (Silobela Chapter) Mr. Tynos Toziva who spoke to the Herald commented on the issue.
“We can’t raise the required money because they just came and switched off our mines and I have checked and discovered that they have done this in the province a whole demanding payment in US dollars”, He said
Miners complained saying that they can’t raise the required money because they can no longer work properly without electricity.
Another affected small-scale miner, Mr. Baron Nago of Shurugwi, said a majority of them we affected by the exercise.
“There is little business in terms of production the whole of Shurugwi since Monday when ZESA officials moved in to switch off all mines in arrears while demanding full payment in forex. It was a surprise move to many. We contribute a lot in the gold output but we were just ambushed and everything is on a standstill,” he said.
A letter of complaint has been written to the ZESA regional manager Engineer King Dube appealing for a payment plan.
