By Liz Dlodlo
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has said it is concerned with the continued theft of electricity by domestic consumers and companies from the national grid.
The practice of stealing or illegally connecting electricity through bypassing the ZETDC meters is rampant.
The power-utility said Friday that those caught stealing power risked disconnection.
“Further steps will also be taken to ensure that prejudice to the power-utility is recovered from such defaulters.
We are also concerned that good and loyal customers are bearing the cost and the burden of bad citizens that are not paying for their consumption of power and are also vandalizing electricity infrastructure,” said ZETDC in a statement.
The company added that it will descend hard on defaulters and sternly warned those engaged in such practices.
According to the statement, those picked up through Geographical Information Systems (GIS) will be disconnected immediately.
ZETDC said those consumers who are still connected through the post-paid system must settle their bills to avoid being disconnected and resultant blacklisting.
“Defaulters are advised to approach the power utility and make payment plans and those who continue to ignore their mandate of paying bills on time risk being blacklisted.
We also commend all those who have been paying their bills on time, including those honoring agreed payment plans,” said the power utility.
The company has reportedly been failing to adequately meet the electricity supply-demand across the country due to infrastructure vandalism.
On some occasions, ZETDC had to deploy loss control officers to contain the menace.
Over 1 600 transformers are said to have been vandalized across the country in the last few years.
Government is said to be contemplating having a 30-year mandatory jail term for those arrested for vandalising ZETDC infrastructure.
