Online Reporter
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Herald Correspondent
RESIDENTS of Harare West Constituency, comprising Ward 41 (Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe) and Ward 16 (Councillor Denford Ngadziore), gathered at Mabelreign District Office earlier today for a tense but constructive meeting with Zesa Holdings officials.
The session, chaired by Harare West Member of Parliament Ms Joana Mamombe, sought to address frustrations over persistent power cuts, vandalism, low voltage and customer service challenges.
The meeting, which began at 10am, saw a strong turnout from residents’ representatives across suburbs including Westgate, Mabelreign, Madokero and Emerald Hill.
Residents voiced concern over erratic loadshedding schedules, recurring faults and the slow pace of infrastructure upgrades.
“We are suffering. Our cables are patched so many times, it’s no longer safe. Every time it rains, we lose power for days,” said a resident of Westgate.
“We have contributed money as a community to secure our cables, but the problems keep coming back. We need a permanent solution, not just patches.”
Another resident from Madokero, highlighted the issue of customer-supplied materials: “We took the initiative to buy our own infrastructure, but we are still waiting for ZESA to upgrade our transformers and connect new households. The process is slow and
communication is poor.”
Engineer Munhenzva, representing ZESA’s head office, acknowledged the gravity of the situation. “We have lost over one million dollars to vandalism in recent years. Our infrastructure is under constant attack, and it is impossible for ZESA alone to police every
substation,” he said.
“We are installing anti-intrusion devices and encourage communities to work with us by reporting suspicious activity and helping monitor substations, especially by installing solar-powered lights.”
Munhenzva also explained the technical and financial hurdles facing the utility. “More than 80% of Harare’s cable network is overdue for replacement. We are prioritizing critical areas, but the process is hampered by limited resources and the need for capital
investment. We urge residents to use our WhatsApp chatbot for fault reporting, which is more efficient than phone calls.”
MP Joana Mamombe emphasized the need for better communication and transparency. “Residents must be kept informed about the status of faults, upgrades, and refund processes. We are pushing for decentralized communication channels so that each district
can track its own issues and progress,” she said.
“We also need clear timelines from ZESA on when upgrades will happen, especially for areas like Westgate and Madokero that have suffered for years.”
Mamombe also addressed the issue of corruption and bribery. “Residents should report any official soliciting bribes for services. We must work together to root out corruption and ensure fair treatment for all.”
Ward 41 Councillor Kudzai Kadzombe called for a published action plan from ZESA.
“It cannot be left to residents to recapitalize infrastructure. ZESA must share its plans and targets with the community, including timelines for transformer upgrades and cable replacements,” she said.
Ward 16 Councillor Denford Ngadziore echoed these sentiments, urging ZESA to streamline the process for customer-supplied materials and ensure that residents are refunded promptly when they purchase their own cables or meters.
The meeting concluded with a commitment from ZESA to improve communication, expedite upgrades where possible, and work more closely with community representatives.
Peter Tanyanyiwa