BY OBERT SIAMILANDU
KARIBA Town Council headquarters has been without power for over two months after being switched off by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), a subsidiary of Zesa Holdings, over a $24 million debt, NewsDay can reveal.
As a result, the council now relies on diesel-powered generators.
Council spokesperson Gabriel Mazivofa said they were still negotiating with ZETDC to have power restored.
“Negotiations for a possible set off with ZETDC are underway, and we’re optimistic that we will reach a point of agreement. We are also negotiating for a sustainable and affordable payment plan to reduce the bill.
“The reasons for such a huge bill were due to pumping 24/7 at most of our water pumping stations. The ballooning debts are a cause of concern because they also affect service delivery. Council is failing to meet statutory obligations like paying the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra), the Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (Zimdef), the Zimbabwe National Water Authority (Zinwa), pensions and monthly salaries, as well as electricity,” Mazivofa said.
Meanwhile, residents have rapped council for failing to open the new Nyamhunga People’s Market which was completed in 2019 at a cost of $12 million, but is lying idle.
The local authority is also under fire for failing to improve water supply in areas such as Baobab Extension and Teachers despite fitting six new water pumps sourced from South at a cost of $15 million.
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