Venus Charumbira
Bulawayo – Thousands of Bulawayo residents have endured days without electricity after a major power outage caused by a burnt switchgear at a key substation.
The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) has attributed the delay in repairs to the need to import replacement machinery from Russia, expected to arrive by May 21.
However, conflicting statements from the power utility have left residents frustrated and demanding clarity. While ZETDC initially cited import delays, a later update claimed that repair teams had completed 80% of restoration work, targeting full power supply by Tuesday, May 13.
Residents Voice Frustrations
Affected suburbs include Luveve, Gwabalanda, Old and New Lobengula, Phelandaba, Matshobana, Mpopoma, Ncube, Emakhandeni, Barbourfields, Nguboyenja, Makokoba, and Mzilikazi. Yet, some residents in these areas report having electricity, fueling confusion.
“Emakhandeni has had no ZESA since Saturday afternoon. What was supposed to be a short outage now feels like a year. What is really going on?” fumed Tapiwa Tanhuke, a local resident.
Christina Nkala echoed similar frustrations, demanding answers:
“Until when should we wait for you guys to fix the problem from Saturday?”
Safety and Livelihood Concerns
The prolonged blackout has raised security and health concerns, with residents warning of increased criminal activity in darkened neighborhoods.
“Since Saturday, Luveve 5 has had no electricity. Why promote criminality in these areas with no power?” said an anonymous resident.
Households are also grappling with spoiled food, while schoolchildren struggle to prepare uniforms due to the lack of electricity for ironing.
ZETDC Urged to Act Swiftly
Residents are calling for consistent updates and urgent action from ZETDC. The power utility has yet to provide a definitive timeline for full restoration, leaving many in limbo.
As Bulawayo awaits a resolution, the outage highlights the urgent need for reliable infrastructure and transparent communication from service providers.
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