ZESCO owes South Africa’s state owned power company -Eskom R89million in outstanding payments.
This was revealed in the South African parliament when Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan responded to a question posed by the Democratic Alliance(DA).
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa Holdings) owes Eskom R322m, Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM) owes R221m and Zambian state-owned power company Zesco owes R89m.
“Half a billion rands is an astonishing amount of money and could, in the long term, go a long way in stabilising the financial woes at Eskom,” said DA chief whip Natasha Mazzone.
“As such, the DA has written to minister Gordhan to request that he makes public the payment plans that Eskom has with these foreign governments which owe the utility millions in unpaid debt,” she said.
“Clearly Eskom is incapable of collecting debts both at home and abroad. This begs the question: does Eskom actually have plans in place to collect debts owed to it?
A few days ago Chief Government Spokesperson Dora Siliya said the Zambian Government had paid US$ 40 million for electricity importation from South Africa. Unconfirmed reports however, suggest only US$10 million was paid.
Energy Minister Matthew Nkhuwa announced on 23rd October, 2019 that the power imports would be in after 14 days.
Source Timeslive,Lusakatimes
Manyazi yekayeka.
Imagine mumakomboni tinkala and borrow from a neighbor and not settling the debt while in that same neighbor’s house family is pressuring the head of the house for explanations to status of the debt! And the head of the borrowers household feeling comfortable that after all compared to the other owing neighbors his/her amount is at least lower! Manyazi chomene!
Hahahahaha Climate change or Nkhongole…which one is it ????? Lungu start packing your Katundu….you out of office come 2021 mambala iwe namanyazi ulibe
Electricity hikes won’t make much of a difference. Expect more harassment from ZRA cadares. Lacking foresight… Looting will only dampen their ambitions.
I think if we did not have the privatisation thief we could not have owed ESKOM or we could have paid it off! Also if we didn’t have unpatriotic children who are doing money laundering and tax evasion this thing could not be there. Let’s make sure that HAZALUZA HAGAIN.
And still paid $10 million last week. You Dora didn’t I tell you that South Africa is screwing up doggy style?
These idyots start to respect us more, we know you listen but also use what we tell you.
$10 million free, and your wimpy boss will be talking about urinating in Kariba to help Zesco.
Ba reporter if we owe R89 Million and we have now paid USdollar10 million (R150 million) according to your unconfirmed reports then they now owe us R60 million isn’t that so?
Report properly
No wonder the abnormal tariff increase. These PF guys, can they even run a toilet without incurring debts?
Comment:that equates to $5million dollars..
There you go, these morons and their ka worst president on earth are really an embarrassment, they have borrowed all over and they owe the whole world…. how dull should someone be to destroy an economy… PFoools and their ka scatter teeth worst president
the pf government is very secretive, there’s no transparency at all.
a lot of issues are only brought to light through other channels or sources, and at times even when that’s the case they still deny until they are cornered
so basically whatever money they’ve paid to Eskom isn’t for importation, it’s just gonna go towards the existing debt.
they’ve no solution for load shedding regrettably my brothers and sisters who’re back home.
I understand it’s not an easy issue or even anything that pf caused, by what’s upsetting is that they don’t want to be open and seek advice. the country is broke but they (top pf guys) don’t behave like that. lung u flying all over the world for non important issues totally ignoring the pending pressing issues at home.
guys sit down and…
Correct……everything is secreate with PF ,especially when using tax payers money.
That is how they steal…..
guys sit down and imagine how the situation is gonna be like if this govnt. is allowed to remain in power for another term. they’ve failed and they need to leave and give way to someone else, it’s that simple
…and get tribal.lists in. It will be worse. Don’t make the mistake!
Do we truly have reserves as the bank of Zambia claims ?
Oweee,
ba naba zonse ba lungu nama koswe yabo………..
Let zesco and government borrow
Money from ministers.zambian ministers are richer then zesco and
Government. Let government get
Kongole from ministers.They are
Like IMF.
Insoni ebuntu. Manje benze kukana chani? Mpaka yafika mu SA parliament
Using Universal Currency converter, R89million translates in real time to USA$ 6,034,941.23 (Over Six Million US Dollars)! When we tell you ZESCO IS BANCKRUPT YOU DON’T WANT TO LISTEN!
Zambians will soon be like the Lebanese who are currently protesting the heavy burden of tax, paying for government’s recklessness! So ERB wants us the citizens to pay ZESCO’s debt and Cabinet wants to use the law to punish its citizens! They were busy increasing their salaries, giving themselves inflated tenders and buying expensive jets without foresight about the state of Energy in the country! How are we going to irrigate our crops? How are the mines going to operate without power? Are we surprised why the mines have been downsizing? In all fairness, let the Presidential jet be auctioned to pay for…
It seems individuals have more money than government. How come misters are buying cash? Case of Stardy. Just asking
It seems ministers and those close to them have milked Sampa’s cows to death. How come Ministers and cadres have more money than the government.
Disaster!!!
Vama hala, vinata. There is nothing like no, we are brothers, we kept you during apartheid, bane business is business let us pay mafwetu, vama hala aikona man, bandela mali man.
The problem that i have with Zambian Government is DISHONESTY,According to Dora Siliya $40Million was paid,thats more than half a Billion Rands,So if that was paid,where does the balance come from now?,According to my Math,that Money(R86million) would be setttled and Zambia would have enough cash left to import Electricity.
*I love Zambia But If we are to progress,We need to learn to tell the truth.
But look!,i stand to be corrected with regards to the above posting
They do not have stable firm power there are still struggling to stop load-shedding and are relying on expensive GAS TURBINE generators for that critical power and if they will have to sell to Zesco surely it will come at a premium as opposed to the other like hydro The same is also for Mozambique
Sometimes the decision not to import and play power balancing is more economical that importation that is if Financially onerous but if you have the money you can arbitrage
Lungu and his PF ministers must just lend GRZ some of the money they have recived as kickbacks and commissions ………
The government is working it will pay, don’t worry… 2021 PF will win again
Ba Lipota ask Lungu at today’s press conference
I doubt if it will be a real press conference or a get together parte for times of zambia,daily mail,deadnbc
Now, if only 10 million of the 40 million dollars released by the Treasury was paid, who pocketed the remaining US$30 million? I smell a rat out here!
Bushe lesa wabafumishe kwi God where did you get them
In a Christian nation they are God-given. I think asking where God got them from is treasonous in a Christian nation! In fact since God provided them to you come 2021 God wants you to STILL keep them around. They are challenging climate change after all… that’s how it works in Zambia, unfortunately.
That’s $6 million dollars that we owe by the way. So question is this, did the $10 million go towards clearing this debt and payment for the new power purchase ???
Is it not R 221 Million and not R 89 Millions are the Figures not transposed
Only $10 million has been paid any not $40 million.
Then again people why didn’t previous governments plan and execute power generation expansion projects. Only the PF has really invested in the area.
Anyone knows that populations grow, economies grow so you have to realize that that will only come with a greater consumption of power. This has been an inevitable eventuality. Sadly Mother Nature played her card to wake us up by bringing us a few droughts.
The most opaque government we have ever had. We can’t exactly know how much the economy has been damaged by these tender-preneur dictators; wolves in sheep’s skin!
Figures,figures,figures are tallying well.LT do your maths well.
I mean do your maths well .
Last time when we started experiencing the worst power load problems, we were informed (via social media) that the cause is partly because Zesco exports power to Sasa Aflika, now Zambia want’s to import, oh even worse; we owe ESKOM?? What is going on here?
Zambia has never exported power to South Africa. SA only requested Zambia to be on standby for power supply during the 2010 world cup because the world cup was held during SA’ s pick electricity demand. All went well and no electricity was imported from Zambia. Actually zesco was going to switch off Zambians to supply electricity to SA. Zesco have never had any surplus electricity in their entire existence.