Venus Charumbira
Bulawayo \u2013 Thousands of Bulawayo residents have endured days without electricity after a major power outage caused by a burnt switchgear at a key substation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Residents Voice Frustrations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Christina Nkala echoed similar frustrations, demanding answers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Until when should we wait for you guys to fix the problem from Saturday?”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Safety and Livelihood Concerns<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The prolonged blackout has raised security and health concerns, with residents warning of increased criminal activity in darkened neighborhoods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Since Saturday, Luveve 5 has had no electricity. Why promote criminality in these areas with no power?” said an anonymous resident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Households are also grappling with spoiled food, while schoolchildren struggle to prepare uniforms due to the lack of electricity for ironing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ZETDC Urged to Act Swiftly<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As Bulawayo awaits a resolution, the outage highlights the urgent need for reliable infrastructure and transparent communication from service providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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