Harare Correspondent
Zimbabweans are expressing growing frustration as the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), the country’s power utility, imposes longer hours of loadshedding blackouts despite recently adding 300 megawatts (MW) to the grid. Residents who had hoped for an improvement in their power situation are now questioning why the power cuts have worsened instead.
The rising dissatisfaction has driven many to social media, where they are voicing their concerns and demanding transparency from ZESA. With outages now lasting up to 16-18 hours daily, citizens are seeking explanations for this unexpected development.
On ZESA’s social media pages, Zimbabweans have not held back, directly addressing the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a subsidiary of ZESA responsible for power generation. Many are questioning the accuracy of the electricity generation data and whether the reported 300 MW addition is actually reaching consumers.
Twitter user Godfrey Shumba shared his disbelief, stating,
“Every time we generate more power, loadshedding increases. This is shocking.”
His remark captures the frustration of citizens whose daily lives are severely disrupted by the ongoing outages.
Another resident, Allan Shoriwa, expressed a similar sentiment, saying,
“To us, it’s the same – no electricity. From the day you added 300 MW, it’s even worse,” indicating that power outages have intensified since the announcement of increased capacity.
Frustration continued to mount, with user @TKawondera questioning the significance of the figures shared by ZPC.
“Kindly elaborate on what these numbers mean concerning the electricity situation in the country,” they demanded, reflecting widespread skepticism about the actual electricity supply.
Tendai Forichi, another Twitter user, raised pointed questions regarding the situation, asking,
“What’s the daily national demand for electricity, and is the 15-hour loadshedding currently experienced in some suburbs proportionate with the current power generation stats?” Forichi’s inquiry underscores the doubt surrounding ZESA’s reported figures.
Concerns about the regularity and clarity of updates from ZESA have also emerged, with many claiming the information is often vague or fails to address pressing issues. One user, known as Father, stated,
“These updates are not useful. We have blackouts all the time,” echoing a shared sentiment that the information provided lacks transparency and fails to reassure residents.
The situation has led many Zimbabweans to question ZESA’s commitment to transparency and accountability. The apparent discrepancies in power supply statistics have eroded trust in the institution. One outspoken critic, tweeting as Gonawapotera WaGoveranyika, labeled ZESA as “the best liars ever,” reflecting deep-seated mistrust among citizens.
Amid these mounting grievances, the public is calling for clearer communication and reliable statistics that accurately depict the current conditions. Many argue that if 300 MW has indeed been added to the grid, there should be a noticeable improvement in power availability. Yet, the opposite seems to be true, leading people to wonder where the additional power is going.
As of now, ZESA has not issued a formal response to the questions raised on social media, but it is evident that Zimbabweans are seeking more than just reassurances. Many are hoping for tangible results that will reduce the hours of loadshedding and restore stability to their daily routines.
In the meantime, residents are adapting to the power cuts, with many turning to alternative sources of energy such as solar panels, generators, and gas stoves. However, the cost of these solutions is prohibitively high for most, which keeps the demand for answers from ZESA strong.
Zim GBC News©2024