BULAWAYO residents have called on the authorities to come up with a statutory instrument that compels all residents in a community to contribute towards repairs of transformers in the even they are damaged.
They believe that those who fail to make contributions should be disconnected and not benefit when power is restored.
In Magwegwe North, residents say Zesa has advised them to contribute towards repairing faulty transformers which left 96 households without electricity since December last year.
However, a small number of households have refused to pay while continuing to benefit once power is restored.
The situation has sparked tensions within the community, with residents arguing that non-contributors should be disconnected if collective repair efforts are undertaken.
Magwegwe North Zesa project chairperson Givemore Kutyauripo said this was the third time the area’s transformer developed a fault, leaving residents stranded, frustrated and abandoned.
“The first transformer was bought by us as residents. When it got burnt, we bought a second one,” Kutyauripo said.
“On those occasions, about six to nine households were directly affected.
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“The Luveve Zesa office promised that we would be reimbursed through electricity tokens.
“We filled in all the required paperwork, but we were never reimbursed.”
He added that less than a year later, the transformer burnt again, and residents were advised to buy yet another one.
The transformer is currently under repair, leaving the community without electricity since December last year.
“We are devastated. Zesa keeps telling us to fix our own transformers, meaning each household must contribute about US$8 from their own pockets.
“Most of us are willing to contribute, but the challenge is that some residents refuse.
“Out of 96 households, about 10 do not co-operate, yet they still benefit once electricity is restored.”
Kutyauripo said those who refuse to participate should be removed from the grid, as it is unfair for them to benefit freely.
“We spent the 2024 Christmas holidays in darkness, only getting power back in April, and now we are once again without electricity.
“We understand that Zesa may be incapacitated, and we are willing to contribute towards repairs.
“However, there must be rules and penalties for those who refuse to participate.”
Kutyauripo added that the area’s councillors, residents’ chairperson and Member of Parliament had tried to engage the power utility on their behalf, but without success.
“Whenever we repair Zesa’s infrastructure, we believe we should at least be reimbursed through electricity tokens, as we were promised before.
“This used to happen, but now there is no communication at all.
“Zesa does not come to explain what is happening, and we are left in the dark — literally and figuratively.”
Bulawayo Residents Charter chairperson Thamsanqa Ndlovu said that legally and morally, residents could not force non-compliant households to contribute, but Zesa had a responsibility to protect those who comply.
Efforts to contact the Zesa Bulawayo regional office for comment were unsuccessful, as all available contact details were not reachable.
