ENTUMBANE residents are up in arms with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority’s (Zesa) failure to attend to a faulty transformer that has left them with no electricity for over a week.
LINDA CHINOBVA OWN CORRESPONDENT
It emerged what has irked residents more is the audacity of Zesa electricians called to the scene directing residents to dictate the fault themselves as well as dig up cables.
Some of the twenty-one affected residents told Southern Eye in separate interviews that they made a report to Zesa on Wednesday last week when the area had gone for two days without electricity following a burst transformer.
They said when they called Zesa officials promised to attend to the problems that very day, but only responded last Saturday.
But when the electricians pitched up, they demanded that the affected residents dig up cables to detect the fault.
“When the practitioners came, they told us that the problem was an underground cable and that we must dig as they had no men-power,” Chief Mabhena said.
He added that the electricians said they would only attend to the fault when the residents have dug and found the faulty cable.
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Thando Dube said he personally went to the Zesa offices at Belmont and asked one of the officials if it was allowed for residents to dig up electrical cables.
“I visited the Zesa offices at Belmont and an official said it was not allowed for an ordinary person to temper with any electrical cables.
“We then wonder why one of them would come and tell us to dig up the faulty cable,” said Dube.
Simon Maradze said what annoys residents the most is that when customers defaulted Zesa was quick to disconnect them.
Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association (BPRA) organising secretary Ambrose Sibindi said it was time Zesa respected the residents who happen to be paying for their services.
He said Zesa once promised the residents that it would attend to faults within 48 hours, but has so far failed to stick to the promise.
Sibindi said it was unfair for Zesa officials to delegate residents to dig up the cables, saying it was the power utility’s responsibility.
“Zesa has to respect the residents by providing the required services without any conditions. It is clear to us that they do not walk their talk and it is very disturbing”
“It is uncalled for — for the service provider — to assign the residents to do their job, if it is an issue of man shortage, then they must employ more people because a lot of people are in need of jobs,” said Sibindi.
A comment could not be ascertained from Zesa as its spokesman Fullard Gwasira was not answering his mobile phone.
