ZESA told to publish load shedding schedule

Bulawayo residents have urged power utility ZESA to publish expected load shedding schedules, a move which will make planning easy.

Zimbabwe is battling low power generation. Yesterday, ZESA generated a combined 352 megawatts from its five power plants, according to the power utility website, against a national demand of 2 200 MW.

To cover up for the shortfall, ZESA is importing about 300MW from regional power utilities and is also rolling out unscheduled load shedding across the country, lasting as long as 12 hours daily, which resident and businesses said were hurting their operations.

Addressing stakeholders in Bulawayo this week, Bulawayo Progressive Residents Association chairperson Ambrose Sibindi said the power company should consider scheduling a timetable for power outages.

"Let me emphasise the issue of timetables. Please let's have timetables. We know there are challenges that we are facing but the fact that you shed for almost 16 hours a day surely that's out of this world," Sibindi said.

He added: "We are saying whilst there are challenges let's try and control the situation."

In response, ZESA Commercial Services Manager, Engineer Gift Ndlovu prolonged power shedding was caused by faults.

"We do understand the concern but the main challenge that we have is that sometimes when we have these prolonged load-shedding hours it will be due to faults.

"We cannot, therefore, have the foresight of faults that may develop. Some of our infrastructure is now old hence the many faults that we incur but it is work in progress. We do try to respond as swiftly as we can and we also hope that this will be rectified soon," he said.