ZESA To Increase Electricity Tariffs Next Week - Minister Chasi

The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Fortune Chasi, had an interview with media mogul, Trevor Ncube. Below are the highlights of what Minister Chasi said:

• We should all pay for what we use. We need to step up around the debt so we pay and we sort out the electric power crisis. Every crisis provides an opportunity just like this energy crisis.No blame game with this ZESA crisis
• ZESA has a legal obligation to protect itself by ensuring people pay for services received. If people don’t pay the system will switch itself off. We need to come together and provide lasting solutions to the ZESA crisis.
• Short term plan for ZESA, consumers to pay $400million of their debts. Medium-term, use renewable energy projects – grids to give us bits of power. There is a need to increase tariffs – Zimbabwe has the lowest tariffs in the region.
• Fuel stations that are being unscrupulous with fuel provisions will be called out and punished for bad behaviour. I have identified a number of service stations where there is misbehaviour and will be taking action (revoking licenses).
• Power crisis- Zesa to increase tariffs next week “you will need more money by next week to buy energy”. Everyone is complaining about load shedding but no one is doing anything about it to improve the country, the public should understand their legal duty.
• We are below 24% capacity with Kariba and it’s movements southwards is threatening power supply for Zimbabwe.
• We are talking to ESKOM and we need to pay our debts. We also need to lessen our appetite for freebies, we need to be responsible and step up to pay.
• It is possible for us to have total darkness one day – where there is light there is the possibility of darkness.
• We want to be a net exporter of power – we want to see it as a business.
• My doors as a minister are open and people should come with any suggestions.
• Local authorities owe $300 million to Zesa should we switch them off today? If we cut them off today we have to deal with the consequences that follow, cholera- people will die, clinics will shut down so we have to agree as a nation if that’s what we want.