- ZESA accused of biased load shedding
- Bulawayo residents accuse the utility of favouring some suburbs
- ZESA currently experiencing power surges that have caused load shedding
The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has been accused of biased load shedding by the residents of Bulawayo. The residents accuse ZESA of power cuts in some suburbs while others have no power interruptions. The recent surge in the network of the state-owned utility due to electricity imports have resulted in several power plants collapsing, forcing power cuts.
Angry residents allege some areas in Bulawayo had up to 19 hours of supply while others have uninterrupted supply despite the challenges on ZESA’s network. Some residents have threatened to sue the utility for damages to household electrical appliances due to the power cuts while others say they’ll only pay electricity bills based on the hours of supply received.
”We will either stop paying completely or start paying for the hours which we have power. We are mobilising each other as residents to bring a collective lawsuit against ZESA for properties destroyed by power surges,” said Gilbert Ndlovu, the chairperson of Mahlabezulu Residents Association.
Other residents have asked for a fair and equitable load shedding schedule.