ZESA Holdings has started installing pre-paid meters in Beitbridge to enable management of energy consumption.
PRISCAH NDLOVU OWN CORRESPONDENT
Beitbridge residents said they were happy that the power utility was installing pre-paid meters.
But Beitbridge Residents’ Association chairperson Lawrence Chili said installation of pre-paid meters was of no use because electricity was now being charged at a higher rate per unit and so residents would be clearing their post-paid debt while at the same time paying for current energy usage.
Chili said Zesa bills were fraudulent as they were not based on actual readings, but estimates.
“House number 3864 Dulibadzimu has a debt of $14 478,58 which shows that it’s not an actual reading,” Chili said.
He said some of the pre-paid meters Zesa was rolling out were faulty as people could not recharge their electricity.
Residents said they wanted Zesa to explain to them how their debt would be cleared or cancelled as they were afraid of paying following a formula they did not understand.
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“Zesa leaves each house with electricity bills of $5 which only last for two to three days and we have to start juicing up the meter while 20% is deducted to service one’s debt,” said a resident Ambitious Mpala.
Another resident Gugulethu Sinyoro said she did not understand the whole process.
“It is all corruption because we are asked to pay credits that are based on estimates and not actual readings. I do not understand all this because I used to pay my bills every month, but when I went for an explanation I was shocked to be told I was only cleared up to January,” Sinyoro said.
Zesa officials declined to comment.
