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Pamela Shumba/Richard Muponde, Senior Reporters
RESIDENTS in some parts of Bulawayo have gone for four days without electricity as the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) struggles to restore power due to technical faults that have affected underground high voltage cables.
The technical faults have caused a blackout in residential areas and frequent power outages in the Central Business District (CBD).
In a statement yesterday, ZETDC spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira apologised for the interruption of power supply, saying their technical team is working flat out to restore electricity.
“ZETDC would like to apologise to its valued customers in Steeldale Industrial Area, Thorngrove, parts of North End, Makokoba, Mzilikazi, northern parts of the Bulawayo CBD and the surrounding areas for the loss of power supplies.
“The loss of power supplies has been caused by technical faults that have affected underground high voltage cables. The ZETDC technical team is working flat out to restore supplies to the affected consumers,” said Mr Gwasira.
He advised customers to treat all electrical installations as live, as power could be restored without notice.
Affected residents have, however, expressed disappointment in the power utility, saying despite their repeated calls, nothing has been done to restore power.
“We’ve been in darkness for the past four days now and this is a long period considering that we have food stored in fridges. Despite our repeated calls we remain in darkness and this is not fair.
“I hope Zesa is working on restoring power because this is a huge inconvenience to most people. Now that we’re paying for electricity in advance, we should get a good service,” said Thomas Dlamini from Makokoba.
Business people operating in the CBD said the unexpected frequent power outages were affecting their businesses.
“I hope this fault is receiving urgent attention from the technical team at Zesa because these power outages are not safe. We’ll end up losing our valuables.
“I’m a fashion designer and I rely on electricity in my business. I’m therefore losing business due to the power outages,” said Ms Angeline Ncube.
Meanwhile, Plumtree Border Post was plunged into darkness for two days following theft of copper cables in Figtree on Sunday.
The theft occurred at the Cyrene High School area causing a blackout for a radius of over 80 kilometres around the border post, on the Zimbabwean side.
The blackout rippled to businesses in and around Figtree and Plumtree town and also affected Plumtree District Hospital’s operations.
Matabeleland South acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Joram Sithole yesterday confirmed the theft.
“I can confirm that we are investigating a case of theft of copper conductors which happened around Cyrene High School area in Figtree on Sunday evening. The theft caused a power black out at Figtree, its surrounding areas and Plumtree Town,” said Asst Insp Sithole.
A source at Zesa said the suspected copper thieves stole over one kilometre of the copper cables, plunging the whole farming community of Figtree into darkness, including the popular Redwood Leisure Centre.
“These stolen cables were about 1200m and that’s our main supply to Figtree area and Plumtree including all the Mission Schools along the way, Cyrene and Usher High Schools respectively. The effects went as far as Plumtree Border Post, causing a security risk to the country.
That area should not be plunged into darkness at any given time, but unfortunately, it’s the work of some selfish individuals who only think of making quick money,” said the source.
“Everything has normalised. We managed to restore power after the police had finished their investigations at the scene.”
Zesa has been losing cables worth millions of dollars to thieves with some targeting transformer oil for sale on the black market.
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