BULAWAYO - EleZimbabwe libhekane lokusilela kwamandla kagetsi kulandela ukumiswa ukupheka ugetsi edamu leKariba ngenxa kokwehla kwesilinganiso samanzi edamu leli.
Abenhlanganiso ebona ngohlelo lwamanzi eyeZambezi River Authority balobele inkampani yamandla kagetsi eyeZimbabwe Power Company bebazisa ukuthi leli nyathela lithethwe ngemva kokuba eleZimbabwe selisebenzise amanzi edlula isilinganiso esivunyelwane leleZambia. Ukumisa ukupheka ugetsi eKariba South kwenzelwa ukuthi kungacitshwa yonke iKariba. Kunanzelelwa futhi ukuthi kungekelwa ukusebenzisa ngendlela amanzi aseleyo kuyenzeka aphele masinyane.
Unobhlala wenhlanganiso yezakhamizi eyeBulawayo Progressive Resident Association, umnunzana Joseph Nkomazana. uthi impilo isizaba nzima ikakhulu khathesi ngesikhathi sekhefu leKhisimusi.
"Besikhangelele ukuthi njengoba amagetsi ehlupha maybe ngabe kule improvement ekhona sesibona kulestatement esikhona ukuthi khona kuzakuba worse. Asizwisisi ukuthi kanti abantu beKariba minyaka yonke kukhalwa ngamanzi pho sesiyakwenza njani izakhamuzi ngodaba lolu azizwisisi. Ngefestive season zinengi izinto ezenzakala ezindlini kutsho ukuthi kuzakuba nzima.”
Umnumzana Bhekizwe Ntuli oqhuba ibhizimusi eKelvin North uthi amabhizimusi ayafa ngenxa yokusilela kwamandla kagetsi.
“Indaba yamagetsi le ukuhamba kwayo kuzasiphazamisa kakhulu ngoba ama business ethu amanengi sikhangelele izinto ezinjengenyama ukuthi kubesemafridgin ngakho kuzabangela ukuthi sibesesidinga ama generator azabayiwo azabe esebenze. Njalo singakhangela ukuthi nxa amagetsi engahamba sithenga ipetrol yama generator ngeyinye indleko ebaphezulu kulaleyi esiyijwayeleyo okutsho ukuthi kuzangena ezintengweni zethu bacine bethenga ngentengo eziphezulu.”
Unkosikazi Nobuhle Ntuli isakhamuzi sakoBulawayo uthi kuzaba nzima ikakhulu ezibhedlela nxa kungahlala isikhathi eside kungela magetsi.
“Kuyadanisa ukuthi akula mizamo eminye ebesibekiwe ukuthi kungaba lento enje kungabi kungabi khona okunye obekukhangelele ukuthi kwenziwe ukuze kuvikele ukuthi kungabi lama hours amanengi kungela magetsi ngoba kuyadanisa ngesikhathi lesikhathi esiya kuso sekhisimusi.Izinto ezinengi ziyonakala elizweni khona kuvele kulobunzima khathesi Kuzakuba njani ezibhedlela.”
Idamu lase Kariba yilo ebelipheka amagetsi amanengi elizweni leZimbabwe nxa kuqathaniswa lezinye indawo eziphehla amandla kagetsi. Idamu leli belisenelisa ukuphehla amandla kagetsi angabamamegwatts phose amakhulu ayisithupha (598MW), kulandele iHwange yona ephehla amamegawatts angamakhulu amathathu (300MW) kulandele iMunyathi ngamamegawatss alitshumi lanhlanu (15MW). Kuthi iBulawayo leHarare okwakhathesi akula magetsi aphehlwa khona.
Inhlanganiso eye Zambezi Water Authority yiyo eqondisa umsebenzi wokuphehlwa kwamandla kagetsi edamini leKariba phakathi kweleZimbabwe leleZambia. Ibika njalo ukuba okwakhathesi amanzi okufanele aphehle amandla kagetsi aseyehle ngesilinganiso sokwedlula okune ekhulwini (4,6%). Yengeze ngokuba okwakhathesi kufanele kumiswe ukuphekwa kwamagetsi eKariba kuze kufike uZibandlela womnyaka ozayo.