Source: Zesa targets Zanu PF chefs – DailyNews Live
Mugove Tafirenyika 15 October 2018
HARARE – Zesa Holdings (Zesa) is going after top government and Zanu PF
officials, including other influential figures, whose failure to pay for
the electricity they use is chocking the power utility -the Daily News can
report.
Insiders at the parastatal said Zesa is weighed down by outstanding
payments in excess of $1 billion, of which the elite in Zanu PF and
government owe a large chunk of that.
To ensure that the power utility and its subsidiaries do not sink and fail
their mandate to provide electricity to households and industries, a
decision was made to go after the mighty and influential figures who owe
substantial amounts in unpaid bills.
A number of politicians were recently hauled before the courts over their
failure to service Zesa debts and are either negotiating flexible payment
arrangements with the parastatal or pleading their cases in court.
Among the bigwigs are former Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi who owes
$327 481 for his Ulva Farm; former Zanu PF member of Parliament for Mbare
Tendai Savanhu
$19 000 for his Eagle Estate Farm in Marondera; Buhera South MP Joseph
Chinotimba $43 716 for Wakatai Plot in Concession and former Mashonaland
East Provincial minister Ambrose Mutinhiri who owes $54 000 for his Newton
Farm.
Energy and Power Development minister Joram Gumbo told the Daily News
recently that he has instructed Zesa to compile a list of influential
people – including Cabinet ministers and politicians from both the ruling
Zanu PF and the opposition – whose debts are ballooning without being
serviced.
Gumbo said he has already asked the permanent secretary in the ministry,
Gloria Magombo, to give him the full list of debtors and that includes
government ministries, senior people in government, companies, farmers,
schools and mines.
“I want them listed and we will write to them letters asking them to come
up with payment plans and clear their debts. As far as I am concerned, no
one is exempted from paying and that includes me,” he said.
Gumbo singled out Sekeramayi whom he said had led by example by
approaching the power utility with a payment plan.
“Sekeramayi is one of the most senior politicians in the country but he
came to me and said he was surprised to see his name in the press to say
he owes yet he has a plan with Zesa. That is what we must do,” said the
Energy minister.
Zesa’s communications chief Fullard Gwasira was not at liberty to disclose
how much the power utility is owed by politicians although insiders said
the amount was in excess of $1 billion.
“In general terms, Zesa is owed something close to $1,5 billion by its
customers and the bulk of that amount is owed by influential people
especially Zanu PF politicians and government officials,” the source said.
In 2012, the Daily News uncovered what became known as the Zesagate.
At a time the power utility was on a nationwide power disconnection
campaign against defaulting consumers, it was revealed that Zesa was
conveniently allowing bigwigs, who were stratified under the so-called
“sensitive customers”, off the hook.
The defaulters included legislators from across the political divide,
judges, provincial governors, ministers and their deputies and permanent
secretaries.
Among the highest debtors was Mugabe and his wife Grace, who owed over
$345 000 as at December 31, 2011.
At the time, now (President Emmerson) Mnangagwa who was also listed under
the so-called “sensitive customers profile” owed Zesa $240 824, 03.
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