Chronicle Editor
Andile Tshuma, Chronicle Reporter
MAPHISA Growth Point in Matobo District, Matabeleland South province, has gone for six months without electricity with hospitals, schools, farmers and businesses being the hardest hit.
A nearby business centre has reportedly gone for about three years without power.
The major cause of the challenge has been copper cable thefts.
Local leaders have since called for replacement of copper cables with aluminium power lines.
Copper cables were stolen sometime last year and since then the Growth Point has been without electricity.
Nurses at Maphisa General hospital said they had resorted to using candles at night which they say are not safe.
“We tell expectant mothers to bring their own candles which we use in the wards and delivery rooms. We do have solar lights but sometimes they do not function. We walk in the dark despite the fact that the place is infested with snakes,” said a nurse who preferred anonymity.
She said sometimes they are forced to refer patients to Bulawayo, Gwanda and other places because of lack of electricity at the hospital.
Matobo North legislator who is also Deputy Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Cde Edgar Moyo said he had engaged Zesa officials many times to address the problem of lack of electricty in Maphisa.
“We have gone for six months without electricity in Maphisa which is a serious challenge as our water pumps use electricity. Residents have therefore gone for six months without water. At places such as Nathisa (business centre), they have been without power for more than three years after a transformer was removed because it was too big for the power lines. Zesa officials had promised to replace the transformer within a week but its now three years” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
He said the repeated thefts of copper cables was the major challenge in Maphisa.
“After the first theft, I engaged Zesa and the power line was replaced within a month. The cables were stolen for the second time and again they were replaced. When the cables were stolen for the third time, it was agreed that they replace the cables with aluminium,” said Deputy Minister Moyo.
He said lack of electricity was adversely affecting health care centres, schools, farmers and the business community.
Deputy Minister Moyo said officials from the Ministry of Energy and Power Development and Zesa were supposed to meet the community leadership over the matter last week but could not make it due to fuel shortages.
Zesa Public relations manager Mr Fullard Gwasira had not responded to questions by the time of going to print.
The Provincial Medical Director Dr Chipo Chikodzore said the power challenge had been a problem for years now.
“Lack of electricity is adversely affecting operations of our clinics and hospitals but fortunately some of them now have solar power. This alternative power has been funded by our partners who include our local business community,” she said. – @andile_tshuma
Online Reporter