BULAWAYO City Council (BCC) has flagged unsupervised solar system installations saying they are contributing to an increase in fire outbreaks at residences, Southern Eye can report.
Zimbabwe is experiencing unprecedented electricity load-shedding, pushing many families to install solar systems to power their homes.
And according to the BCC, the installations are being done without expert knowledge leading to a surge in fire outbreaks.
According to minutes of the latest full council meeting debating a report on the fire and ambulance services section, councillor Adrian Moyo raised concern over lack of regulations regarding the installation of solar systems in the city.
Moyo indicated that many households have adopted solar energy as an alternative source of energy.
“However, some residents are installing these solar systems themselves without the necessary expertise of qualified technicians,” the councillor was quoted as saying.
“There is lack of oversight to ensure compliance with solar regulations or to verify the credentials of the involved technicians.
“As a result, the city has been experiencing fire from bursting lithium batteries and improper solar installations.
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The Energy Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe has responded to this issue through a set of guidelines. Moyo emphasised the need for such guidelines to regulate solar installations in the city.
The report further states that the fire and ambulance section will soon be overwhelmed with calls related to fire emanating from improper installations.
Moyo, the minutes said, proposed that a policy on solar installation should be formulated and adopted for implementation.
He also sought clarity on the progress regarding increasing the fleet of ambulances, saying the fleet was currently below optimum level.
The minutes further state that Moyo applauded the department for training fire teams from other local authorities, adding that council had demonstrated national leadership in fire response.
Contributing to the debate, Bulawayo mayor David Coltart noted that in South Africa, solar or gas installations required approval of local authorities before use.
Coltart concurred that the fire and ambulance section has been increasingly responding to calls on exploding lithium batteries, which can cause massive fires.
He proposed the introduction of a by-law compelling all solar and gas installations to obtain approval from the fire and ambulances section, adding that an inspection fee would be charged for the connections.
Meanwhile, on the sewerage section, the councillors applauded the efforts of Saltaway Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, saying the company has done a good job in unblocking the sewage system in the city.
The councillors, however, requested assistance with the sewage system at Vundu Flats and BMC, saying toilets in the area are not working properly.
They also appealed for assistance with the sewage systems in Sizinda and Tshabalala Extension.
"Councillor Sikhululekile Moyo expressed concern over sewer bursts in Pumula, noting that the contractor working in the area had encountered challenges which requires the attention of council,” the minutes stated.
“The contractor has been working in the area for two months without any progress. Some households in Pumula South faced sewage challenges from the onset and requested the department to look into the issue.
Councillor Moyo applauded Saltaway Enterprises for dealing with sewer blockages in ward 2 in September 2023.
“Council engaged the contractor and these challenges have been effectively dealt with. However, he emphasised the need for awareness campaigns in the area, which encourage residents to look after their sewer infrastructure,” the minutes said.
“Residents should be responsible and play their part through avoiding disposal of foreign materials in sewer systems.
“In addition to broken pipes, the sewer system was blocked by household utensils such as spoons, etc.”
The councillors also applauded the contractor engaged to fix the sewer system in ward 10.
Indications were that sewage challenges in the ward had persisted for a long time and, however, the contractor had been able to effectively address the issue.
Councillor Roy Sekete said the contractors had successfully addressed sewage reticulation issues in most areas in the city.
He told the meeting that the committee will visit areas that are lagging behind to come up with appropriate measures.
