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Grace orders Zesa to stop installing pre-paid meters
16 Oct 2015 at 09:38hrs | Views
THE First Lady, Grace Mugabe has ordered ZESA Holdings to stop the installation of pre-paid electricity meters on farms.
Grace says the move was ill-informed and counter-productive, given its impact on various levels of agriculture across the country.
Pre-paid electricity meters were introduced on farms in June this year, with the power utility arguing that it was designed to keep the energy sector going.
Said Grace, "Do not switch off farmers. Whoever came up with the idea of installing pre-paid metres on the farms pasi naye. It does not work, and whoever is agitating for it wants to destroy the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of our economy."
"Farmers need to irrigate and how can they irrigate when you ask them to pay first.
"How do you expect the farmers to pay when they do not have money to pay upfront? Give them time to produce and pay later.
"The land reform may fail if we take this route."
Grace says the move was ill-informed and counter-productive, given its impact on various levels of agriculture across the country.
Pre-paid electricity meters were introduced on farms in June this year, with the power utility arguing that it was designed to keep the energy sector going.
Said Grace, "Do not switch off farmers. Whoever came up with the idea of installing pre-paid metres on the farms pasi naye. It does not work, and whoever is agitating for it wants to destroy the agriculture sector, which is the backbone of our economy."
"Farmers need to irrigate and how can they irrigate when you ask them to pay first.
"How do you expect the farmers to pay when they do not have money to pay upfront? Give them time to produce and pay later.
"The land reform may fail if we take this route."
Source - Manica Post
