Bulawayo City Council has to pay $5.5m to be reconnected by Zesa

Bulawayo City Council (BCC) will have to fork out $5,5 million before Zesa restores power at the local authority's banking halls in the city.
Last week council paid $400 000 towards settling its $9,2 million debt to Zesa, but the power utility on Tuesday insisted the payment was inadequate and ordered the local authority to pay up its debt.
On January 17 this year, Zesa disconnected power supplies to the City Hall, Tower Block and Revenue Hall in a bid to force the municipality to pay its debt or at least a substantial part of it.
Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira said creditors disconnected for owing the power utility large sums of money were "required to at least pay 60% of the money owed for power to be restored".
A council official on Monday revealed the local authority was making frantic efforts to raise a substantial amount of money but those efforts were being hampered by fluctuating revenue inflows.
BCC had resorted to petrol-powered generators but the method proved too costly for the cash-strapped local authority.