admin
Raymond Jaravaza
A GROUP of Bulawayo businessmen are up in arms with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authourity’s (Zesa) ”unfair” load shedding schedule that constantly plunges some businesses into darkness, while lights are uninterrupted in some parts of the city centre.
The businessmen are extremely upset over the fact that they get load shedding the whole day on some days while their counterparts in the same vicinity have uninterrupted power supply during the same period.
The affected businesses are in the city’s central business district around George Silundika between 10th and 12th Avenues, overlapping into Robert Mugabe Way.
The disgruntled business owners numbering close to 20 took their concerns to a Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution and Transmission Company (ZEDTC) official identified as John Murimirwa.
“He told us that the power authority is not aware of the unfair load shedding schedule that affects some businesses and benefits others yet we all operate in the same area. He also promised to take our concerns to his superiors and that a way forward would be reached,” said one of the businessmen who attended the meeting last Friday.
Tavengwa Carlos Zidya, who owns Vaiton Refrigeration, said it was worrying how the power utility would switch off electricity in some premises while keeping the lights on in some.
“We have a number of businesses that operate in the same area and some are in direct competition with others and so how does Zesa explain switching off electricity in some buildings for the whole day while the other businesses are not affected?
“If we all have to be affected by load shedding then let it be instead of the selective load shedding that we are experiencing now.
“It’s worrying when 20 businesspeople in the same area are complaining over the same issue and Zesa must come up with a lasting solution,” said Zidya.
The affected area is home to a company that deals in motor spares, fast food outlets, a number of entertainment establishments — nightclubs, salons and barber shops, a butchery as well as bottle stores among other small to medium enterprises.
Online Reporter