Just as we were all getting used to the destabilising stage 1 load shedding which ZESA introduced a few weeks ago, they did the unthinkable. They introduced crippling stage two load shedding.
Reduced power generation at Hwange was blamed for this. According to Mr Fullard Gwasira, there had been a technical fault at Hwange which has since been resolved. This would be a second fault at the same power generating plant in two weeks.
Stage 2, was supposed to see certain areas that had been made exempt from load-shedding being added. Instead however, it meant longer hours in darkness to areas that had already been having 8 hours in darkness. It has seen areas going 15 or more hours without power.
ZESA claims they have gone back to stage 1
Despite telling everyone they have gone back to stage 1 load shedding. I know for a fact they haven’t. All areas I know, and I know people from a lot of suburbs in Harare and other towns, are still being subjected to 15 hours of load shedding. In fact given the timetable most people have just written off ZESA.
ZESA and the Zimbabwean government has a habit of making proven false statements in the media. They latter lied and said there was no load shedding even when it has been going on for months albeit at a more manageable 2 hour like schedule and only in rural areas and poor neighborhoods.
Despite projects upgrading Hwange and Kariba on multiple occasions, ZESA is now whining and saying they are using equipment from the 1940s. What happened to the much touted upgrades?
Where they lying then or now? Despite promises that operations at these places would be improved, nothing much has changed at parastatals which continue in their old expensive ways.
ZESA has a plan to end load shedding?
Yesterday on national television, Hon. Chasi outlined ZESA’s plans to end load shedding. None of the plans are revolutionary by any means, it involves the government finally clearing it’s massive debts, upgrading plants and importing more power.
This might or might not happen, our best bet is to import power from countries like Mozambique and even then given how much our own generating capacity has decreased we can hope to merely reduce load shedding hours not to end it.
At the rate things are going at we will wake up one day with zero power being generated by ZESA. I kid you not.
