Harare Mayor blames Zesa for City's street light crisis

Harare Mayor Jacob Mafume has revealed that the city's municipality is struggling to maintain street lights due to ongoing issues stemming from the takeover of the thermal power station by the power utility, Zesa Holdings. The mayor's comments came during his testimony before a commission of inquiry appointed by President Emmerson Mnangagwa last year to investigate corruption and financial mismanagement at Town House.

The commission inquired into the prolonged state of neglected street lighting in the city, to which Mafume provided a detailed explanation. He explained that in 1994, Zesa was established and took control of the power station, previously managed by the city of Harare and Bulawayo, without compensating the municipalities for the infrastructure.

"When Zesa was created, we used to run our own thermal power station in Harare, but it was taken from us without compensation," Mafume said. "The station used to supply 34 megawatts to the Morton Jaffray waterworks and an additional 6 megawatts for street lighting and Mbare hostel electricity."

Mafume lamented the fact that despite the municipality losing control of this crucial energy resource, Zesa did not compensate Harare for the infrastructure it seized. As a result, the city was left with the burden of maintaining street lights without the necessary financial support.

"The situation is like someone taking your cows and then charging you for milk the next day," he added, underscoring the unfairness of the situation.

The mayor went on to highlight the challenges faced by the city's residents, who shoulder the costs of the electricity consumed, with monthly bills totaling around US$3 million. In addition, Harare residents are paying for electricity that also funds rural electrification efforts, leaving the city's streets in darkness.

"Harare residents are paying for electricity from sources outside of industry, while the rural electrification levy continues to support rural areas. Bulawayo, in contrast, has refused to pay for electricity, due to their own dispute over the power station," Mafume said. "This leaves Harare facing a monthly electricity bill of US$3 million, while Zesa installs prepaid water meters and increases charges."

The mayor expressed that despite the challenges, the city is planning to reinstate the street light levy in the upcoming budget to address the electricity deficit and improve street lighting infrastructure.

The situation continues to strain Harare's financial resources, with Mafume emphasizing the need for fair compensation and a more equitable distribution of energy resources to support urban services like street lighting.