Zimbabwe Anti-corruption Commission must investigate ZESA now!

The Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission (ZACC) is challenged to investigate massive officialised corruption ruling at the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA). There are numerous accusations levelled against it which need thorough investigations to authenticate the suspicious deals in which its staff are involved in daily.

In principle, ZESA is a public utility which is mandated to serve public interests along commercial lines while making profits for the Government too. Parastatals are the economic side of government which should generate profits which should be deposited with the treasury. But alas! I wonder if government ever realise any revenue from this corporation today.

ZESA is demonstrating gross failure in its primary obligation to supply electricity to consumers. Its productivity is dwindling daily owing to unbridled corruption peddled by its officials. Prominent allegations taking toll at ZESA include fraudulent selling of electricity tokens to selling of electricity meters to prospective clients.

It is mind boggling to note that ZESA is failing to procure sufficient meters to service new residential areas like Glenwood Park, thereby subjecting needy and desperate residents in this area to corrupt officials that sell the commodity at exorbitant prices which are far reaching to many.

There is a well orchestrated syndicate which include the most ordinary citizens that have the capacity to connect anyone with ZESA insiders who when given the amount they charge can supply and connect electricity to the household instantly.

In principle, an electricity meter is a ZESA property which should installed at every household, and use it as a measure for power consumption which is primarily for collection of revenue when clients juice-up.

Therefore, by denying residents access to meters, ZESA is technically shooting itself in the foot as it can hardly collect cash from potential clients in their numbers. Instead, its wicked staff are making a killing, and smiling all the way to the bank daily by selling this free product only to rich residents who are well connected, and have the capacity to pay.

Glenwood Park is new residential location which falls under Epworth Local Board. After its establishment ZESA was unable to extend service to the area. The community reacted by mobilising its own resources and established its own private electricity network in the whole area with ZESA approval. This project was completed more than three years ago. But up to now ZESA is failing to supply just meters to enable residents to use electricity which is a human right.

Up to this day, less than 5% of the households in the area have electricity whose meters were procured under unclear circumstances for which investigations can be done to expose the syndicates stealing from ZESA or defrauding the corporation of its public goodwill or revenue.

Around mid July 2016, a word was circulated in the area telling residents that about one hundred (100) ZESA meters were coming for installation in the area for those whose houses were tubed, wired and inspected. ZESA chairperson for the community project requested details for all prospective clients that were ready for meter installations, but noting ever came. There is talk for oiling the ZESA guys for one to get one through the same corruption syndicates which are cashing in daily in the same way.

One wonders if ZESA superiors are aware of this rot eating its business. One is expected to pay ZESA officials through back door to have your house inspected, then you pay them too to get a weather deck. If you reason that ZESA is under mandatory obligation to do this for free, they will tell you to wait for ZESA for the rest of your life.

ZESA, I would like to enquire if your Corporate Affairs or Public Relations Department is aware of these image damaging activities peddled by corrupt officials? I challenge ZESA to visit Glenwood Park and carryout researches and/or investigations on the ground to ascertain my claims here. We are ready to supply all details, naming specific personalities that are directly involved in all this rot.

In business terms, ZESA is supposed to connect as many consumers as possible as part of its growth so as to boost revenue inflows. But this business principle is defeated by a few selfish figures in the corporation to the detriment of its public mandate. If ZESA cannot establish this, and take urgent corrective measures, then the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission should hasten to investigate this to rescue both, the corporation and the populace, from further injuries caused by these corrupt officials.

Additionally, the Auditor General's Office is also challenged to engage itself in a forensic audit to establish how ZESA is doing business.

All necessary information pertaining to this is readily available among the residents if serious consideration is made by the afore-mentioned relevant statutory bodies.

However, it is worth noting that ZESA is not strange to being fingered in corruption as its minister was recently widely cited in a number of corrupt deals. So can we all conclude that ZESA has an operational culture of corruption? If that is the case, then it certainly means that some elements within the organisation must be fired, investigated and pay for their sins in commensurate value according to the founding principles of justice.

This narrative is a mere a tiny representation of the bigger picture in which ZESA is involved nationwide to the detriment of the nation state. As a matter of urgency, this should be nipped in the bud forthwith, failure for which the corporation is headed for doom.

ZESA is urged to appreciate our effort in Glenwood Park of promoting its public roles by sacrificing our financial resources to buy electricity equipment, hiring private contractors to set-up both transmission and distribution lines. Then only to reward us by putting corrupt staff on the loose to defraud us in this area.

We demand the immediate end to this rot please!