News / National
Zesa should disconnect Mugabe for defaulting - Makoni
03 Apr 2012 at 17:04hrs | Views
HARARE - Opposition leader Simba Makoni yesterday waded into the Zesagate scandal by urging the State electricity company Zesa Holdings to disconnect President Mugabe and other top government officials defaulting on their power bills.
Makoni, who challenged Mugabe in the March 2008 vote and came out third with eight percent of the vote, said the Daily News revelations that Zesa is owed huge amounts in unpaid bills by top inclusive government officials, among them Members of Parliament, ministers, the Prime Minister and President made sad reading.
Mugabe and his wife Grace topped the list of Zesa's defaulters as at December 31, 2011, owing the parastatal $345 000 in unpaid bills at their multiple farms.
Other top government officials heavily indebted to Zesa included Central Intelligence Organisation director-general Happyton Bonyongwe who owed $350 989, Defence minister Emerson Mnangagwa with $240 824, Transport minister Nicholas Goche with $158 245, minister of State in the President's Office Didymus Mutasa with $179 590 and police chief Augustine Chihuri with $106 778.
"Here is the elite class comprising of people who, besides having the capacity to pay, should be leading by example, neglecting to pay up for services rendered," said Makoni, who leads Mavambo, Kusile Dawn (MKD) party. "The top inclusive government officials are sending a very wrong signal to the whole nation."
The Daily News exposé caused uproar in government, where furious Zanu PF ministers and Mugabe angrily accused Energy and Power Development minister Elton Mangoma of leaking confidential information on Zesa accounts to the press.
"The interesting aspect is that, the affected members of Cabinet are not denying that they owe Zesa the leaked amounts," Makoni said.
Makoni spoke as minister Mangoma warned that the power supply crisis could actually intensify during the Easter holidays if the country fails to clear a $76 million debt owed to Mozambican power utility Hydro Cahorra Bassa.
Mangoma said Zimbabwe needed to pay $40 million by Friday to avert worse load shedding.
Meanwhile, the number of ordinary Zimbabweans struggling to pay for electricity has increased significantly, with power disconnections to homes more than doubling because of unpaid bills.
Makoni said it was disturbing to note that Zesa elected to start the programme by disconnecting supplies to the poor and hard-pressed.
"This is despite the fact that these clients owe the electricity company negligible amounts," he said.
"The same people spend most of their time without electricity because of massive load shedding.
"MKD calls upon Zesa to carry out the exercise without fear or favour," said Makoni.
Makoni walked out of Zanu PF on February 5, 2008 claiming 60 percent of top Zanu PF officials backed him.
But former Home Affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa was the only Zanu PF heavyweight to publicly join him but has since decamped to form his own Zapu party.
Makoni, who challenged Mugabe in the March 2008 vote and came out third with eight percent of the vote, said the Daily News revelations that Zesa is owed huge amounts in unpaid bills by top inclusive government officials, among them Members of Parliament, ministers, the Prime Minister and President made sad reading.
Mugabe and his wife Grace topped the list of Zesa's defaulters as at December 31, 2011, owing the parastatal $345 000 in unpaid bills at their multiple farms.
Other top government officials heavily indebted to Zesa included Central Intelligence Organisation director-general Happyton Bonyongwe who owed $350 989, Defence minister Emerson Mnangagwa with $240 824, Transport minister Nicholas Goche with $158 245, minister of State in the President's Office Didymus Mutasa with $179 590 and police chief Augustine Chihuri with $106 778.
"Here is the elite class comprising of people who, besides having the capacity to pay, should be leading by example, neglecting to pay up for services rendered," said Makoni, who leads Mavambo, Kusile Dawn (MKD) party. "The top inclusive government officials are sending a very wrong signal to the whole nation."
The Daily News exposé caused uproar in government, where furious Zanu PF ministers and Mugabe angrily accused Energy and Power Development minister Elton Mangoma of leaking confidential information on Zesa accounts to the press.
"The interesting aspect is that, the affected members of Cabinet are not denying that they owe Zesa the leaked amounts," Makoni said.
Makoni spoke as minister Mangoma warned that the power supply crisis could actually intensify during the Easter holidays if the country fails to clear a $76 million debt owed to Mozambican power utility Hydro Cahorra Bassa.
Mangoma said Zimbabwe needed to pay $40 million by Friday to avert worse load shedding.
Meanwhile, the number of ordinary Zimbabweans struggling to pay for electricity has increased significantly, with power disconnections to homes more than doubling because of unpaid bills.
Makoni said it was disturbing to note that Zesa elected to start the programme by disconnecting supplies to the poor and hard-pressed.
"This is despite the fact that these clients owe the electricity company negligible amounts," he said.
"The same people spend most of their time without electricity because of massive load shedding.
"MKD calls upon Zesa to carry out the exercise without fear or favour," said Makoni.
Makoni walked out of Zanu PF on February 5, 2008 claiming 60 percent of top Zanu PF officials backed him.
But former Home Affairs minister Dumiso Dabengwa was the only Zanu PF heavyweight to publicly join him but has since decamped to form his own Zapu party.
Source - Daily News
