In a desperate bid to recover 1.2 billion Zimbabwen dollars (U.S$ 77m) outstanding debt, Zimbabwe’ state-owned Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company, ZETDC, says it is ready to disconnect mining firms, farm settlements, and other consumers of electricity in the country.
ZETDC is currently facing challenges owing to severe drought in the country and dilapidated electricity infrastructure.
Officials say the company is now generating 688 MW of electricity, less than half the country’s peak demand.
Zimbabwe imports about 400 MW from neighbouring South Africa and Mozambique to augment capacity.
In a public notice, the state run electricity firm called on defaulters to pay up or be disconnected.
“settle your electricity bills without any further delay to avoid the inconvenience associated with power being disconnected,” The notice read.
The Zimbabwean Chamber of Mines, the umbrella body of leading platinum and gold producers and other miners, said they will not be affected by the disconnections as its members were up to date in bills’ payments.
” Our members are paying for power supplies in dollars to guarantee supply,” The chief executive officer of the chamber, Isaac Kwesu, said.
Electricity consumers in Zimbabwe have lately been subjected to regular power cuts for up to 18 hours daily, following a drop in water levels at ZETDC’s hydro plant caused by severe drought.
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