The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) last Thursday disconnected electricity supplies to three major Midlands companies over non-payment of bills now estimated at $63 million.
The country’s largest chrome smelting plant Zimasco, Steelmakers and Sable Chemicals were without power on Thursday and Friday.
According to Zesa, Sable Chemicals have a debt of over $40 million, Zimasco ($20 million) and Steelmakers ($3 million).
Sources at Zimasco said chrome smelting furnaces were now being warmed up by diesel- powered generators.
Sable Chemicals boss Jack Murehwa said the company was engaging all stakeholders to ensure power supplies were restored.
He refused to discuss the figures involved.
In September 2010, Sable Chemicals was switched off over a $1 million debt.
Supplies were only restored following the intervention of government which regards the company as a strategic business entity.
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Meanwhile, power supplies at Zimasco were restored over the weekend after the company promised to settle part of its bill by month-end.
“We have restored power to Zimasco after they promised to pay part of their bill before monthend,” said a source at Zesa.
