In a move to curb power theft by consumers, the government says plans to switch from pre-paid meters to smart meters are at an advanced stage, and it will soon be mandatory for all newly-built homes to have the smart meters installed.
The government’s plan is to install 800,000 meters - 500,000 prepaid meters and 300,000 smart meters. So far the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has installed 420,000 prepaid meters.
Mines and Energy Minister Dzikamai Mavhaire told the state-media Tuesday that workers are installing the last batch of pre-paid meters, and will soon resume installing the smart meters.
However, Binga South legislator Joel Gabhuza, who is also a member of the parliamentary portfolio committee on Mines and Energy, says the government should first review and rectify the success and failure of the pre-paid meters before embarking on an even more complicated project.
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Interview with Joel Gabhuza