HARARE – Zimbabwe’s Energy Minister, Egar Moyo, has declared that consumers who replace vandalized or faulty electrical equipment will be compensated with energy units instead of cash.
Responding to queries raised by Minehle Gumede, CCC representative for Bulawayo North, regarding ZETDC’s policy and whether it’s government-mandated for individuals to procure materials themselves, Moyo emphasized that the scheme is voluntary.
“It must be noted that the scheme is voluntary and is there to ensure that clients do not wait for long for cable or transformer replacements, at the same time are compensated for their contribution to equipment replacements,” Moyo said during questions with notice on Wednesday.
Moyo elaborated that this compensation system is in response to the challenges faced by ZETDC due to years of non-cost reflective tariffs, which led to the incapacity to implement power infrastructure provisions. Consequently, customers took the initiative to replace equipment themselves and donate it to ZETDC at no cost, he said.
To formalize this arrangement, ZETDC introduced the Customer Supplied Material Scheme as outlined in Chapter 12 of its 2022 Commercial Guidelines.
Under this scheme, customers who contribute by replacing vandalized or faulted equipment using their own resources are compensated through the supply of energy units, or electricity tokens.
The scheme is voluntary and aims to expedite the replacement process for cables and transformers while providing compensation for the customers’ contributions.
Moyo emphasized that the initiative allows customers to avoid lengthy waits for equipment replacements and supports ZETDC’s efforts to maintain the power distribution network. Compensation in the form of energy units is only available for the replacement of existing, damaged, or faulty equipment, not for materials supplied for new connections.
ZETDC has previously come under fire over reports indicate that in some areas, customers have been without electricity for extended periods due to faults in the system.
Additionally, there have been allegations of corruption, with claims that ZETDC officials have demanded bribes to expedite the repair of electrical faults which has led to frustration and financial strain for residents who are compelled to engage in such transactions to restore their power supply.
