mbulelo smpofu
Peter Matika, peter.matika@chronicle.co.zw
SEVERAL businesses in Bulawayo’s central business district (CBD) have been forced to suspend operations due to a prolonged power outage caused by a technical fault on the Zesa network.
The outage, which had not been fixed by late yesterday since it started on Saturday morning, has disrupted operations for businesses such as fresh produce stores, butcheries, and fast food outlets, while also affecting residents in nearby residential flats.
The power cut has caught many establishments off guard, forcing them to close early and incur significant losses.
“I was right in the middle of serving customers when the lights went out,” said a waitress at a popular city eatery.
“It was chaotic for a few minutes, and we had to turn people away. It’s frustrating, especially on a Saturday when we usually have a good crowd.”
Restaurants, nightclubs, and retail stores have been particularly hard hit, with some resorting to alternative power sources such as solar and fuel-powered generators—solutions that are proving costly.
Some eateries have resorted to using charcoal and wood to cook meals in makeshift kitchens set up in their backyards.
“For those who buy in bulk, this is a catastrophe. Where are they going to store large amounts of meat and other perishables? This is a serious setback,” lamented a business owner.
“Buying ice to keep meat cool is also very costly, especially with the high temperatures. The ice melts quickly, and we have to constantly clean the freezers to avoid damage.”
The outage has also impacted residents in the CBD. A local soccer fan expressed his disappointment after missing out on his usual match-day experience.
“I wanted to watch the soccer game at my favourite sports bar, but the beer was warm, and the streets were dark. I opted to watch it from home instead,” he said.
The disruption has raised concerns among business owners, particularly with the festive season approaching—a critical period for sales and revenue generation.
“We depend on weekends to boost our sales, and losing a whole morning is tough. We just hope this doesn’t become a regular occurrence,” said another business owner.
The affected businesses urged Zesa to prioritise maintenance and upgrade the network to prevent similar disruptions in the future, particularly during peak trading seasons.
In a statement, the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) attributed the power outage to multiple underground cable faults at various locations in the CBD.
ZETDC said its technicians and engineers are working to restore power to affected areas.
“We have multiple underground cable faults in the CBD. One part of the faulty area was identified, repaired, restored yesterday and some of the clients that were affected have had power restored,” read the statement.
“Currently we are carrying out fault location on the last part of the cable and expect to have completed all works latest on Friday. Any inconvenience caused by this outage is sincerely regretted.”
