Zimbabweans are enduring up to 20 hours without electricity as the country battles a power crisis worsened by the recent decision to shut down generation at one of the main power stations.
Most parts of the country have for the past two weeks witnessed electricity being switched off around 4am (0200 GMT), only to be restored after midnight.
This is the worst power crisis that the southern African country has experienced since 2000 when it witnessing rolling electricity blackouts, blamed on the aging generation infrastructure and poor planning by the authorities.
Locals have responded to the worsening power crisis by doing chores that require electricity during the short four-hour window between midnight and 4am.
“To avoid inconveniences, I now do most of my ironing and cooking in the early hours of the morning when we have electricity. Otherwise, I will not afford the cost of gas since I would end up using a lot of gas,” said Harare resident Emily Chareza.
The crisis is also affecting business, which has had to resort to diesel generators to power operations at most factories.
This has had the effect of pushing up production costs since diesel costs more than petrol in Zimbabwe.
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) has warned that the power crisis is “stalling growth momentum”.
According to the CZI, about 35.4 percent of registered companies in Zimbabwe “registered a decrease in output during the third quarter to the end of September while only 42.5 percent recorded an increase.
The fourth quarter to the end of December is likely to be worse off in terms of production volumes owing to the current power deficits.
The grouping of manufacturers said there is need to urgently address the energy crisis to avoid a plunge in production and economic productivity.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government has acknowledged that the situation requires urgent handling.
“The power cuts are causing distress, inconveniences and cost to the citizenry and business. This is regrettable,” Information ministry permanent secretary Nick Mangwana wrote on microblogging site Twitter.
Mangwana said the government was looking at measures to bring normalcy.
“Government is seized with implementing immediate mitigatory measures to bring normalcy. We thank you for your patience,” Mangwana.
The power situation recently deteriorated dramatically after the Zambezi River Authority ordered ZESA to shut down Kariba South Hydropower Station, the country’s biggest power supply, until January as it had exceeded its water ration for the year.
JN/APA