Residents engage ZESA

In the face of high tariffs charged by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), Nketa residents, under the auspices of the area’s Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) Ward 25 Committee have come up with an innovative way to avoid being disconnected. The residents have mobilized themselves into four groups from the four squares in the area, namely Esporweni, Hanyani, Mthwakazi and Mgiqika to pay their electricity bills. The strategy is to collectively pay bills so that each family in each square only pays a minimum of $20. Thus for example one family can pay US$20, another $US30 and another US$50. At the end of the day the total is collected and paid at the same time, in a deal that means electricity is not disconnected from any households in the area with outstanding debts. ZESA apparently approves of the plan because it ensures that a large chunk of money is dropped into its coffers in one go. Receipts are given individually as usual and records of what individual households owe the parastal are not lost. This month, 71 households from Esporweni square put together $1140, while those from Mthwakazi square managed to collect $500 and $1100 was collected from Mgiqika square. Residents are working on creating relations with ZESA and coming up with measures of ensuring that every month an increasing number of residents contribute towards clearing their debt.