Local Government minister Ignatius Chombo and his estranged wife Marian are among several top government officials that owe the national power utility Zesa huge amounts of money in unpaid bills.
Documents shown to NewsDay reveal that the Chombo couple owes Zesa $129 656,44 for power supplied to their Allan Grange Farm in Mashonaland West Province.
The farm is at the centre of an ownership wrangle between Chombo and Marian.
Late last year Zesa wrote to Marian Chombo requesting a payment plan to clear the Zesa bill. Part of the letter reads: We note with concern that your account(s) has not been serviced consistently.
We have also observed that since dollarisation, the status of your account has accumulated and is too heavy in the +120 days category as shown by the aging analysis of your following accounts.
. . . Be that as it may it is in the interest of doing business that we recommend that you come forward and draw a payment plan with us to avoid the inconveniences associated with disconnection of electricity supply.
Chombo could not be reached for comment as his mobile phone went unanswered yesterday. We were also unable to get in touch with his estranged wife Marian.
Many government ministers bills reportedly range between $20 000 and $100 000 and most of them have been accumulated at their farms, businesses or private homes.
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Last week, Energy and Power Development minister Elton Mangoma told Parliament that ministers, MPs and senior government employees were not servicing their electricity bills.
Manicaland Governor Christopher Mushowe and Secretary for Energy and Power Development Justin Mupamanga were named as some of the biggest debtors.
Mangoma said the power utility would now resort to switching off all defaulters as it endeavoured to collect the $400 million owed by consumers.
