TellZim reporter
A power connection row involving Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company (ZETDC), Bikita Rural District Council (RDC) and Equifax contractors who constructed power lines in Duma phase 1; 2 and 3 culminated into a standoff resulting in Bikita West legislator Elias Musakwa intervening to solve the matter.
A meeting was conducted on March 11 in Duma suburb at the power transformer where ZETDC is supposed to connect to ensure power is supplied to the residents of the area. The stand-off emanated from alleged refusal by power utility and Bikita RDC to complete contractual forms legalizing power connection.
Musakwa said the fact that such a huge transformer was under-utilized prompted his office to look into the matter and thus resolve the issue while at the same time delivering power to residents of the areas in question.
“We received calls from residents that there was no transformer in the area and we responded to the call with the provision of this 250KV transformer that you can see here. The challenge now is that, I was even fearing to enter into N-Richards shop as people would enquire and pose questions to me as to when the power issue would be connected and I could not have a clear and definite answer.
“If I ask ZETDC, they would say they had no problem with connecting if relevant procedures were properly followed, would ask the contractors they say the same and so would the RDC. After realizing that all the stakeholders were clean, I then sought this meeting so that the matter is laid to rest and power connected. Now that all the relevant stakeholders are present, what would stop us from connecting power? If there are documents that need to be signed before connecting, then let it be,” said Musakwa.
One of the ZETDC representatives said they would have no problem connecting power to the residents if all the necessary infrastructure and procedures are in place.
“As ZETDC, we feel the stage at which we are needs the power lines constructed by the contractors to be handed over to us by the RDC. We would work with the RDC and from our prior agreement, there should be handover-takeover process and that is done through documentation and the RDC would have finalized their work with contracted companies.
“If the RDC hands over the infrastructure to us and we officially take over, only then would we be authorized to connect power,” said the representative.
However Bikita RDC Chief Executive Officer Peter Chibhi declined committing council towards honoring payments to the contractors on behalf of residents and urged contractors to finalize their issue with residents as they have been doing before.
“The contractors once came to my office trying to figure out an arrangement in which council would be involved in payment arrangements because they felt that if lines were to be officially handed over to ZETDC before full payment, they would not be able to recover the money. My response was that as council, when these contractors were given the job that meant that we had given the nod as an authority.
“However, I made it clear that council had no capacity to pay the contractors on behalf of residents. The contractor therefore must come out clean that the obligation to pay solely rests on residents and not council. I would not sell out council like that. I will not even commit council towards such payments.
“After the meeting with contractors who talked about having previously taken Checheche and Zaka RDCs to court over payment rows, council made it clear that residents make their payments as they used to, leaving out council. The contractors should just collect their dues directly from residents,” said Chibhi.
Speaking on behalf of residents, Clever Tongonya acknowledged the meeting which he said resulted in bringing unity of purpose between the four parties and that will ensure power is connected.
“We have to acknowledge the unity between council, ZETDC and residents to resolve the matter. Normally the project should have been completed in December last year, but due to financial challenges among residents, progress stalled. After lessening of Covid-19 induced challenges, work then resumed. There was a challenge at one point where residents could not honor their part by making payments as agreed but now we are working towards finalizing payments for those yet to be paid up,” said Tongonya.
During the meeting, corruption allegations towards ZETDC were raised as the power utility employees are accused of connecting residents who are yet to make full payments.
Residents claimed that under normal circumstances, the project should have been finished in December 2021.
