By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –
THE National Traders and Marketeers Association of Zambia (NATMAZ) has expressed concern over the accumulated K341,000 electricity bill for Chisokone Market in Kitwe.
NATMAZ district vice-chairperson Gibson Mukosa said the outstanding K341,000 electricity bill for Chisokone Market was a source of concern for shop owners who are now at the mercy of Zesco which could disconnect power supply to the market any time for non-payment of utility bills.
Mr Mukosa who produced a print out of the Zesco bill for the January 2015 bearing K341,000 as due amount for payment said in Kitwe yesterday that it was surprising why Kitwe City Council (KCC) authorities had allowed the bill to accumulate to that amount.
“We have over 1,000 shops at Chisokone Market and if each shop is paying K20 per week by that number, we should be talking of K20,000 which should be going to Zesco every week and yet when you look at the Zesco bill statement printout, amounts as little as K6,000 are the ones reflecting as payment,” Mr Mukosa said.
He said marketeers were concerned that the Zesco bill for Chisokone Market had kept accumulating when it was supposed to be decreasing since the council took over the running of market affairs in 2011 when the market associations were de-registered.
At the time of de-registration of market associations that included Zambia National Marketeers Association (ZANAMA) and Zambia Traders and Marketeers Association (ZATMA) the Zesco bill for Chisokone Market was K68,000.
“To our surprise, the outstanding bill has kept accumulating to abnormal levels and our fear is that Zesco may disconnect supply any time they so wish and that will inconvenience us greatly,” Mr Mukosa said.
He challenged the council to categorically state where they were talking money being collected for electricity at Chisokone Market especially that there were big shops such as ZAMBEEF that were paying as high as K220 towards electricity.
Efforts to get council spokesperson Dorothy Sampa over the matter failed as she was not available for comment.