Photo from The Zimbabwean.

Riot police stand aside whilst violent protesters besiege Parliament. But when activists from Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) peacefully deliver a petition to Parliament or ZESA they get rounded up by riot police and taken down to Harare Central.

Electricity consumers may soon see a welcome credit to their accounts, following the resolution of an outstanding argument between consumers and ZESA dating back to 2009.

According to The Herald 13 July, “Zimbabwe Electricity Authority is now required to revert to the US$40 per month for consumers in low-density areas and US$30 per month for high-density consumers for the period between February 1 and November 30, 2009 as directed by Government.”

This was ordered by Justice Susan Mavangira at the High Court on Monday 11th July 2011. Since the change over of the currency to the US dollar people have complained over the manner in which ZESA was handling its billing for electricity usage. The Competition and Tariffs Commission conducted investigations based on these complains from the customers and filed an application.

All those customers who had paid for electricity usage in US dollars before February 2009 will have the amounts credited to their accounts.

But before I can start to celebrate over the recent High Court ruling on ZESA let me alert people to the mid year statement made by the Zimbabwe Power Company Chairman, which amongst other things warns the country about an upcoming tariff increase.

Fed up with the service provided by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA)? Then make a note of these public hearings on ZESA service delivery and go along and make your voice heard:

Be advised that the Portfolio Committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals Management will be holding  public hearings on the operations of Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA). The purpose of the public hearings is to gather views of the public on ZESA’s service delivery to the nation.

The public, interested groups, business persons, civic society organisations and the media are invited to the hearings which will be conducted in the areas mentioned below.

Contributions made will be considered by the Portfolio Committee in compiling a report to be tabled in Parliament.

Details of the Public Hearings  are as follows:

DATE
Friday, 10 June 2011

VENUE
Gweru Theatre Hall

TIME
1000 hrs -1300 hrs

DATE
Saturday, 11 June 2011

VENUE
Small City Hall (Bulawayo)

TIME
0900 hrs -1300 hrs

DATE
Sunday, 12 June 2011

VENUE
Masvingo Civic Centre

TIME
0900 hrs -1300 hrs

DATE
Monday, 13 June 2011

VENUE
Mutare Queens Hall

TIME
0900 hrs -1300 hrs

DATE
Tuesday, 14 June 2011

VENUE
Senate Chambers-Parliament Building (Hre)

TIME
0900 hrs -1300 hrs

Written submissions and correspondences on the above subject are welcome and should be addressed to:

The Clerk of Parliament
Attention: Portfolio Committee on State Enterprises and Parastatals Management
P.O. Box CY 298
Causeway
Harare

Zimbabwe’s power situation sucks:

Winter load-shedding schedule disappointing
Residents have said they are disappointed that this year’s Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) winter load-shedding schedule is the worst since load shedding intensified in the last three years. They said they were disheartened by the fact that ZESA officials have the audacity to notify the nation that some residential areas will experience power cuts at least twice a day with some going for between five to ten hours without power supplies. In addition, ZESA has said most residential areas will experience power cuts six days out of seven in a week. Residents said this showed that ZESA was failing in its mandate to provide the country with its power needs. Interestingly, while failing to provide constant electricity supply, ZESA executives and employees alike earn fat salaries. Bulawayo residents last year demonstrated against ZESA expressing displeasure with the poor service provision. The effort was however in vain as ZESA continues to swindle residents, charging them exorbitant bills but failing to provide electricity. In the past month, power cuts have intensified with most areas experiencing power cuts almost every day. Residents have also expressed dismay with the fact that ZESA’s billing system does not cater for the hours lost without power.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association

It’s time for all Zimbabweans to get behind Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) and protest the abysmal supply of electricity in Zimbabwe. The responsibility of putting pressure on the Government of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) should not fall only on the shoulders of WOZA. What are YOU doing about it?

WOZA’s campaign demands are:

1. Stop cheating fixed meter consumers, we demand prepaid meters.
2. Please provide cheaper firewood, candles and matches, we do not want to destroy our environment by cutting down trees.
3. We are tired of 18 hour power cuts -provide proper timetables of load shedding.
4. Urgently put in place a proper and transparent billing system. Stop sending metered consumer’s estimates, send ACTUAL bills.
5. Create a smoother process of customer’s claims for  compensation.
6. Review recruitment policy and bring salaries to decent levels with our current economic record. Professionalise staff performance and honesty. No more luxury cars we need transformers.
7. We will record the exact hours we receive electricity for the last 2 weeks of May while we get petition signatures which we will take to Parliament and demand they review your monopoly and poor service. You have cheated us for long enough, after we submit our demand to parliament we will organise a RED card Campaign. Be warned POWER TO THE POOR – ZERO service ZERO bill. HOKOYO!!

Support WOZA on the streets. Let’s all protest and demand better services. Enough of the fat cat, co-called liberation heroes living in luxury whilst Zimbabweans struggle in the dark. Email your support to WOZA at info [at] wozazimbabwe [dot] org

One really has to wonder about the Zimbabwe government’s airport highway project. First, there’s hardly anyone using the airport. Second, on my return to Zimbabwe last Thursday evening, there were no traffic lights working and there was very little street lighting. The current road does its job just fine. Pretty soon we’ll have a very big and expensive road and we’ll still have no street lighting or working traffic lights because Zimbabwe’s national power company can’t deliver.

Some fine minds at work in our government.

The non-working traffic lights on the night I returned were of course causing mayhem. Lounging in the dark at these intersections were details of two policemen and women clearly waiting for some political chef to make his or her way home from the airport. They stood idly by gazing at the traffic snarled up in front of their noses. But, imagine if they were caught directing traffic and Mugabe or Tsvangirai came motorcading through!

On arriving home I was greeted at the back door with someone waving a torch at me.

I was told that most days and nights there had been a powercut. Since Thursday I’ve had one day of power. The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) estimates our bills every month. Amounts are not based on actual useage. But do you think that they’ll take into account that as winter bites and they’re providing a third of the power they used to, that they will estimate their bills down. Ha. Fat chance. Instead our bills will remain the same, or in many cases, increase.

Bright sparks at work in ZESA? I don’t think so.