News / National
ZETDC Kariba shreds its own loadshedding schedule
26 Jun 2019 at 02:06hrs | Views
The ultimate tourist resort town of Kariba must brace for dark days like it has never endured before since 1960.
Zimbabwe's electricity shortages are getting worse each day as the Kariba lake water levels continue to also worsen whilst the situation at the Hwange thermal power station is reported bad. This has forced ZETDC Kariba to abandon a schedule it had supplied to consumers earlier in June 2019. According to a senior ZETDC staffer, who cannot be named for fear of reprisals, the load shedding schedule is now given by a phone from Harare every morning.
Power consumers in Kariba had been hopeful that the town would be spared from the national load shedding schedule after Samu Mawawo, the indefatigable Kariba Incorporated Area Residents and Ratepayers Association (KIARRA) Executive Chairman had made a spirited presentation before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy. His presentation then carried the day with high hopes but is being shelved following this Hwange debacle.
Kariba tourism establishments will be negatively affected as they cannot provide the soft trappings like free WiFi, satellite television and self catering options which domestic tourists prefer. The natural environment will suffer due to the increased reliance on firewood for both lighting and cooking. The fishing industry will also not be spared.
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) who controls and allocate quantities of water used by power utilities in Lake Kariba is set to review the water allocation to ZPC (Zimbabwe) and ZESCO (Zambia) at the end of June 2019. However not much is expected from that quarter as the water situation in Lake Kariba has not improved.
Join the mailing list to get Kariba news and updates by emailing patsakatrust@gmail.com
Zimbabwe's electricity shortages are getting worse each day as the Kariba lake water levels continue to also worsen whilst the situation at the Hwange thermal power station is reported bad. This has forced ZETDC Kariba to abandon a schedule it had supplied to consumers earlier in June 2019. According to a senior ZETDC staffer, who cannot be named for fear of reprisals, the load shedding schedule is now given by a phone from Harare every morning.
Power consumers in Kariba had been hopeful that the town would be spared from the national load shedding schedule after Samu Mawawo, the indefatigable Kariba Incorporated Area Residents and Ratepayers Association (KIARRA) Executive Chairman had made a spirited presentation before a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy. His presentation then carried the day with high hopes but is being shelved following this Hwange debacle.
Kariba tourism establishments will be negatively affected as they cannot provide the soft trappings like free WiFi, satellite television and self catering options which domestic tourists prefer. The natural environment will suffer due to the increased reliance on firewood for both lighting and cooking. The fishing industry will also not be spared.
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) who controls and allocate quantities of water used by power utilities in Lake Kariba is set to review the water allocation to ZPC (Zimbabwe) and ZESCO (Zambia) at the end of June 2019. However not much is expected from that quarter as the water situation in Lake Kariba has not improved.
Join the mailing list to get Kariba news and updates by emailing patsakatrust@gmail.com
Source - Laiton Kandawire, Patsaka-Nyaminyami CR Environment and Tourism Series
