Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Limited in Itezhi-tezhi has not restored power to the police camp regardless of the assurance given by home affairs minister Lameck Mangani that government would soon settle the bill.
In another development police officers in Itezhi-tezhi have welcomed government’s decision to start paying police officers allowances for settling their electricity and water bills, saying the move was long over due.
A check by ZANIS at the police camps in Itezhi-tezhi found that electricity supply at the camp was still disconnected after home affairs minister Lameck Mangani requested the company to restore power and water at the police camp on Monday, 17th AUGUST, 2009.
And Police officers interviewed by ZANIS said the move by the Ministry of Home Affairs to start paying them allowances for utilities was welcome, as it will save them from embarrassment and inconvenience each time there were disconnections of electricity and water supply.
“The government’s move to pay us allowances for electricity and water is the best that they have done because now we will be able to settle our utility bills on time and avoid embarrassments associated with power and water disconnections” said one police officer who sought anonymity
The police officers wondered why ZESCO in Itezhi-tezhi could not restore power in their homes for close to a month now despite the minister’s plea to restore power after assuring them that government would soon settle the huge electricity bill owed to the utility company.
“Our friends in the Copperbelt and Lusaka had their power and water restored after the minister requested them to do so but we are still wondering why Zesco in Itezhi-tezhi cannot do so here” said one of the police officers.
When contacted for a comment ZESCO referred all queries to their superior offices in Choma.
On Monday this week government announced that police officers will from next year directly pay police officers allowances for the settlement of their electricity and water bills to save them from being disconnected from water and electricity supply.[quote]
Home affairs minister Lameck Mangani was reported as saying the move to pay utility allowances to police officers would be introduced in the next budget and that it was aimed at ensuring that police officers took the responsibility of paying for their bills instead of being inconvenienced over long-standing government bills.
Mr. Mangani further said the Home Affairs Ministry had entered into an agreement with the utility companies to re-connect water and electricity power to the affected police camp.
Meanwhile ZESCO in Itezhi-tezhi has postponed the planned mass disconnections of power supply to defaulting government ministries and house tenants due to lack of police manpower to help in the exercise.
Acting Itezhi-tezhi District Commissioner Hampende Hichilema confirmed the postponement to ZANIS today.
ZANIS
PAY YOUR BILLS IN THE FIRST PLACE AND THINGS LIKE THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN.
Good on Zesco for telling the government to pay up and shut up.
An assurance of payment by the government of Zambia is like a piece of toilet paper.
T.O.I.L.E.T paper.
What is offensive about that word…….hehehehehehehehehehehe
All other companies should join Zesco in the fight against irresponsibility, delay of payments and gratis use of resources by the government. What a government!!
Somehow zesco is trying to show the government the best way of doing business.For how long are those bill going to be settled when they have been accumulating for a long time?Sometimes the govt. should think of change when the accepted ways of doing thing can not make sense.Let individual officers be paid allowances for them to pay electricity and water bill rather that wait for the govt.to do it for them. The system of govt. to pay zesco bill for all its institution has failed and change is needed.Therefore,it is not zesco that is punishing the police officers in itezhi tezhi ,it is the govt.
RGZ, pay zamtel what you owe. zesco, stand your ground.
But zoona, the government just doesn’t get it does it. In an economy like zambia goverrnment shouldn’t even think of telling big organisations like ZESCO, “we promise will pay the bill”, that is just so irresponsible of them and they really need to put the right people in such positions. how do you expect a company like zesco to run if even the bigest and most reliable source of income to the company, “the government” can’t pay for what its using, then how are the pipo of zed supposed to act when it comes to paying bills. It is such a shame! and come on police officers dont be lazy nothing comes for free in this world you gat to work hard for some of these things. Assurance from the minister, who he think he is? We need people to get things done!
Ba Zesco now u need police protection b4 u restore power. use yo guards not the police. (mwa pontela ingwena ama..ko yalimumenshi) go collect yo bill without us