adminMidlands Correspondent
ZVISHAVANE residents are up in arms with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) following the move by the latter to exempt its company houses from routine load shedding in Mandava high density suburb.Residents allege that Zesa weaned its employees’ houses from the line which supplied the entire Mandava Suburb with electricity.
Zvishavane Residents and Ratepayers Association chairperson, Peter Mudzviti, said ever since the power utility employees had their separate power line, load shedding had increased in the suburb.
“We are now enduring long hours of load shedding in Mandava after Zesa weaned off its workers’ houses from the line which supplied the entire suburb and joined it to another mainline. This was done on the pretext that the line would ensure that Mandava home industries would be electrified and have uninterrupted power supplies.
“However, up to now the home industries are yet to be electrified but to our surprise, Zesa houses in Mandava are now receiving uninterrupted electricity supplies,” he said.
Mudzviti said the residents had approached the Zesa office in Zvishavane at which they were told that load shedding is done in Harare.
Zesa Southern Region general manager, Engineer King Dube, said he was yet to receive a report on the matter.
He said: “I am not aware of those developments. I have not been briefed about it from our office in Zvishavane. However, we will make internal investigations on the matter and come back to you.”
Zesa has in the past been accused of prioritising its employees and exempting them from load shedding.
In 2010, Athlone residents in Gweru marched to Zesa offices in protest over the power utility’s move to switch the suburb off leaving a section where Zesa employees live in the same area with power.
Online Reporter