ZESA Holdings is struggling to pay Mozambique‘s Hidroelectrica de Cabora Bassa US$43 million for power imports.

Zimbabwe imports most of its power from Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.

In an interview ZESA public relations manager Mr Fullard Gwasira said the Mozambican company threatened to pull the plug on the country’s electricity if ZESA did not pay.

“The Mozambican power bill is accruing and we are failing to pay the accruing bill. Only 10 percent of the total bills from local customers have been made,” said Mr Gwasira.

Consumers are not paying for the services rendered by the power utility, thereby ZESA failing to pay its debts.

This comes amid revelations that ZESA is failing to meet customer demands, giving them shoddy services.

“Let customers complain after paying the bills, where is the 90 percent?” he added.

“If given the total support from electricity users definitely we are going to meet consumer needs. The current scenario between ZESA and consumers is of a hen and an egg, we cannot do without consumers,” said Mr Gwasira.

He added that ZESA is geared to ensure that its service tallies with the bills paid by the consumers but this can only be done in a manner which benefit the two sides.

“Customers should pay the electricity bills as recommended for the power utility to services its transformers,” he said.

He added that to construct a power station it costs US$2 billion and in the mean time the power utility is looking for investors to partner with to operate at full capacity.

“Harare only requires 2000 transformers and each transformer costs US$8 000,” he said.

However, the power utility has failed to cope with a steady rise in demand due to an investment drought. Zimbabwe generates power at Kariba South Hydro-Electricity plant and Hwange Thermal Power Station.

Kariba produces 750 MW when operating at full capacity and Hwange generates about 900 MW.

However, due to the recurrent breakdowns and coal shortages, Hwange is producing less than 250 MW.

South Africa‘s power utility Eskom, cut electricity exports to Zimbabwe owing to recurrent breakdowns at its power station.

(Source)