Power cut hits Mugabe office, city
By Xolisani Ncube, Staff Writer
Tuesday, 20 March 2012 12:08
HARARE – Business came to halt in Harare’s city centre yesterday afternoon
including at President Robert Mugabe’s Munhumutapa offices due to
intermittent power cuts by the country’s rot- ridden, Zesa Holdings.
Munhumutapa offices which houses several core government offices was forced
to switch on to a standby generator to continue government business.
The rolling power cuts which are increasing everyday as a result of an
outstanding $80 million electricity debt to Mozambique are coming amid an
expose by the Daily News that several senior government officials owe Zesa
millions of dollars in unpaid bills.
The power cuts brought business to a halt at government offices, the courts,
private offices and hospitals.
High Court Judge Justice Chinembiri Bhunu had to postpone a bail application
hearing for MDC activists currently in custody on charges of murdering a
police officer because the courtrooms had no lighting.
Court proceedings could also not continue because recording equipment could
not function without electrical power.
Zesa has recently announced a punishing load shedding schedule for most
parts of the country due to reduced power generation from Hydro Cahora Bassa
(HCB) of Mozambique.
But Zesa keeps punishing the poor, by switching off electricity among the
suffering people yet the VIPs, are left untouched although they owe
millions.
Over the weekend, the power utility made a passionate plea to defaulters who
include politicians to settle their bills so that it could use the money to
increase its capacity to generate more power.