Kwekwe City Council owes Zesa over ZWG 23million in unpaid bills and residents are proposing that the local authority should establish a solar plant at the water pumping station.
Council’s finance director Rejoice Dandira told a budget consultation meeting that the local authority is grappling with a Zesa debt. Dandira said Zesa has since indicated its intention of putting up prepaid meters at the pump station.
“We are grappling with our electricity bill every month. We get a bill of around ZWG$4 million and we owe Zesa ZWG$23 335 949,27,” she said.
“They have sent us some communication indicating that they intend to put prepaid meters at our plant and we pray that they may understand us because if they proceed raising $4,6 million for prepaid meters plus servicing the bill it may be a challenge for us.”
Speaking during the budget consultative meeting with stakeholders held at the civic center on Tuesday, the stakeholders proposed installation of solar at the water works to lessen the burden of paying huge sums of money to Zesa.
“As a council I suggest that you budget for the establishment of a solar plant at our water works and forego reliance on Zesa because it is expensive and also it affects us as residents each time we lose power or there is load shedding at waterworks it affects our. water supply so solar is the way to go, “ said a former councilor Morris Chinwada.
