Nketa residents, councillor join forces to bring back power

Raymond Jaravaza, Online Reporter

AFTER enduring three months of living in the dark owing to a damaged transformer, residents of Nketa suburb in Bulawayo together with their local councillor pulled together resources to bring back power to homes to avert a cold winter without electricity.

The new transformer was supplied by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) but a crane was needed to install it.

Ward 24 councillor Cde Tavengwa Zidya, seeing the need to bring back power into residents’ homes, mobilised residents to pull together resources to hire the crane.

He also made a contribution to the US$500 that was needed to hire the crane to enable ZESA employees to install the transformer.

“Residents had gone for over three months without electricity after a transformer was damaged and ZESA supplied a new one but a crane was needed for the electricians to install it. The ZESA crane was overwhelmed and the residents had endured a long time without electricity so we had to make a plan.

“I mobilised the residents to pull together their money so that we hire a crane and I contributed the balance and they have power back in their homes,” said Clr Zidya.

He emphasised the need for local leaders to lead from the front and keep in touch with residents.

“President Mnangagwa has shown us that leaders must be on the ground, listening to the concerns of the people that they lead so it’s important for councillors to also be in constant touch with residents and solve problems that they are facing,” he said.