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World Cup fever has forced the Democratic Republic of Congo’s national power firm to tell customers to turn everything off but the TV so there is enough electricity for everyone to watch the games.Even though The Leopards – Congo’s national side – did not qualify for the tournament, football fans across the nation crowd around TV sets for each match, putting the country’s creaking power grid under strain.
The national electricity company, SNEL, asked customers yesterday to turn off as many things as they can — including fridges, cookers and lights — so the country doesn’t suffer blackouts during match times.
SNEL representatives also appear on state television before matches to ask viewers to turn off all unnecessary devices.
The DRC has a very limited power supply, and just nine percent of Congolese have access to electricity. The country’s main hydroelectric power station, at the Inga Dam, is in disrepair and cuts are common across the country.
Eric Mbala Musanda, SNEL’s managing director, said: “We have limited supply compared to the demand, but there are many ways to find a balance. If the demand is high compared to the supply, we have to find ways to bring down the demand.”
The request has annoyed some in Kinshasa.
“We don’t understand how . . . we are being asked not to put our lights on at home, not to use our fridges or anything electronic in our homes, said Michel Wandji. “They are simply skirting their responsibilities.” — AFP
derick.khumalo