Utility capers

We have been back in Mozambique for two weeks now and in some ways it feels like we never left.  Indiana feels like a long way away and a long time ago, even if we just spent two months there with family and friends.  It was truly an amazing time that God set up for us, both restful and occupied with enough to keep us focused.  Coming back we feel like we are to get more involved with the local church and in Maputo with relationships and ministries. 

 

Hope the title catches your eye since paying utility bills in Mozambique is quite a challenge.  Normally we just get the bill, put together the money and take it to our landlord’s house so she can have her house worker go stand in line to pay it.  However, this time the payment was due that day or a fine would be applied. 

 

The utility payment offices close at 2:30 so I was sure the clerks/tellers worked through lunch.  After all they get off early!  Being it was the last payment day of the month, I decided to wait till 2 and once I was in the doors, they would keep things going until they finished all the clients who were there before the doors closed.  That was the case, but I did not foresee several things.

 

First, they installed a “state of the art” number system where you select the type of service you want and out comes a number for that line.  You then choose any chair in the room and don’t have to play musical chairs to keep in line every time a new customer is served at a clerk.  It used to be quite a sight.  You can even go out and do something else if you want and get back before the doors are locked or your number is called.  So I took a number 718. 

 

It took me awhile to get oriented to what number they were now serving.  The sign said 0568 01.  Was it 0568?01 (i.e. was it missing a number?) or was it 056801, or was it 568 and who knew what the 01 was for?  Part of the problem was that the “01” stood for the register number that was serving the current client. There were 5 registers, but only two were currently occupied and only one was handling any clients.  Everybody else was either MIA or out to lunch!  That meant I was 150 numbers from being served.  It also meant they had helped less than 100 clients per hour in the first 6.5 hours of being open, even with more clerks.  Why didn’t I bring that book? 

 

Since I had a half hour before they locked the door, I decided that I would check out the water company situation next door.  Not a chance, they had the same situation there so I was ready to just walk out, mostly because they don’t fine you for a late bill.  We will get it next month.  However, since I had the time, I started looking at the bill for the months we were gone and noticed we had charges in the second level of water usage where you have to pay if you exceeded 10 m3 per month.  We (or guests) used 4 one month and 1 the other.  So I asked, why the charges.  The answer came back in English so I did not misunderstand it.  If the billing cycle is not exactly 30 days, you are charged a portion of your water at the higher rate whether you use that much water or not.  It is not if the month has 30 days, it is the number of days between the days they read you meter.  So you pay extra no matter what.  As the Malawian’s would say, shame!

 

Well, you can believe I was back inside the electric company office before the doors locked at 2:30.  The number being served was #620.  Somehow they had managed to serve about 40 people in the last half hour.  Suddenly things began to happen.  A new teller appeared.  Then the “guard” made an announcement that if you had the exact change, you could be served first and the vocal protests began.  People who came in late might be served before those who came in earlier.  Maybe they could pull off the “exact change” stunt at the beginning of the day when no tellers had change (a normal business practice), but not at the end of it.  It took a second employee to intervene and correct the guard to calm everyone down. 

 

It took another 50 minutes to get through the next 100 numbers before I was served, and it went “so fast” because about half of the people had given up and left or gotten locked out.  The next time you pay your utility bill at the bank, on-line or through the mail consider yourself blessed that you don’t have to wait 1-3 hours to do it and you are not charged for services you don’t use.

 

I, Rachel, taught the 8-11 yr old Sunday School today.  We were having an interesting conversation and somehow got to whether animals have eternal souls or not.  One boy said, “Well, when animals die they go to the animal kingdom.”  So there you have it, it’s clear in his mind!