Bulawayo................
UHulumende weZimbabwe uthi usehlele ukusungula lapho okuzaphehlwa khona amandla kagetsi ngamalahle esithitshini se-Hwange kusikhatshana esifitshane esilandelayo. Lokhu kungelinye lamanyathelo athathwayo ukuze kuqedwe udubo lokusilela kwamandla kagetsi elizweni.
Lokhu kuza ngesikhathi uzulu ehlala amahola phose angamatshumi lambili (18 hours), engela mandla kagetsi, isimo okuthiwa yiso esengezelela ukuthi isimo somnotho welizwe siqhubeke sisiba sibi.
Umqondisi we-National Consumer Rights Association (NACORA) uMnu. Effort Ncube uthi ukuswelakala kwamandla kagetsi kudala inkinga ezinengi.
“Ezomnotho ziyahlupheka kakhulu nxa ngabe kungamanga kahle kwezamagetsi; amandla kagetsi nxa engekho kwenza ukuthi abezamabhizimisi besebenzise i-diseal besebekhweza intengo yezinto. Kanti ke uzulu uyahlupheka laye njalo; athathe imali ye-School fee,s leyokudla athenge izinto akade engamelanga azithenge amagetsi nxa abekhona. Ezomnotho ziyadilika kuvalwe amankampani; lemisebenzi nxa kungamanga kuhle; amandla magetsi umnotho ucina udilikile vele.”
Umsekeli kaMeya wakoBulawayo uMnu. Mlandu Ncube uthi ukusilela kukagetsi kuyaphazamisa imisebenzi eminengi kamanisipala.
"Udaba lokuswelakala kwamagetsi luyasihlukuluzakakhulu njengedolobho. Okukuqala, ukuze sipompe amanzi anathwa yizakhamizi kumele sisebenzise ugetsi. Manje nxa engekho kuya affecta ama levels ama reservoir ethu kucine kusenza izakhamizi zingasatholi amanzi afaneleyo. Nxa amagetsi engekho kubamnyama edolobheni ngitsho le industry iyabe ingasasebenzi. Ukuba affected kwe industry it affects i revenue, lezimali okufanele zibhadalwe kumensipaladi.”
UMnu. Embrose Sibindi umgcinisihlalo wenhlanganiso yezakhamizi, eyeBulawayo Progressive Residents Association laye uthi zinengi inhlupho ezidalwa yikuhamba kwamagetsi okugoqela ukugqekezelwa izindlu ngamasela.
“Izakhamizi ziyakhonona kakhulu ngalokhu okwenzakalayo, ukuthathelwa amagetsi ngabantu be-ZESA, lokhu okuthiwa yi-load shedding. Okokuqala ezikhala ngakho yikuthi ziyananzelela ukuthi amagetsi lawa ayahamba loba nini. Izakhamizi zacela kudala ukuthi azinikwe i timetable elandelwayo ukuthi lazo zibone ukuthi zizalungisa njani impilo yazo kuhle, kodwa lokhu akwenzakali. Abanye futhi balemithi, bele condition, imithi abayisebenzisayo kufanele ihlale isema frijini. So kuyahluphake ukuthi amagetsi nxa engahamba isikhathi eside imithi iyacina isonakala. Abantu sebesengozini ngenxa yakhonokho. Lakhonokho ukuthi amagetsi ahamba ebusuku kulengozi ukuthi amasela bayasuka bathathe ithuba ukubana bagangenele abantu.”
UNkosikazi Nolwazi Maphosa isakhamuzi seNkulumane koBulawayo, uthi amagetsi awasabaphi thuba ngoba asehamba nsuku zonke.
“Ngokuhamba kwamagetsi sekunzima ukuthi senze ama budget ethu ezindlini sikhangela izitshebo ukuthenga sukuzonke kunzima, ngoba imali siyithola kanye ngenyanga nxa amagetsi ehamba kangaka kunzima. Okunye okusizwisa ubuhlungu yikuthi asikwazi ukuthi i-timetable yakhona ihamba njani, ngabe siyakwazi itimetable bekuzakuba ngcono.”
UNkosikazi Judith Ncube umphathintambo wesabelo seBulawayo Metropolitan, uthi ukwakhiwa kwesititshi seHwange kuzakwenza ukuthi ama-industry angavali.
“Nxa sekulungisiwe izakhiwo lezi eziseHwange ezibaselwa ngecoal sinanzela ukuthi kuzasisiza kakhulu njengabanikazi beZimbabwe ukungezelela ieletricity ngaleso sizathenga sikhangelele ukuthi kuzancedisa kakhulu, ikakhulu kithi ngapha koBulawayo silama industry lama business atshiyeneyo. I-eletricity ingathixhaxha kuzakwenza ukuthi athi first service kumaconsumers.”
Ikampani yamagetsi eye-Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, isanda kwethula umbiko wokuthi ikhangelele ukuthi ukutholakala kwamagetsi elizweni kuzakubangcono ngenyanga kaMbimbitho lonyaka, nxa sekuphele ukulungiswa kwe-Hwange kanye lokuba abe-Zimbabwe River Authority bengathi amanzi edamu leKariba asemanengi okungavuma ukuthi kugaywe ugetsi.
Inhlanganiso ephathisa amazwe omhlaba ngemali eye-International Monetary Fund - IMF, layo isanda kwethulwa umbiko othi umnotho we-Zimbabwe uyehluleka ukuphakama ngenxa yezizatho ezimbalwa kodwa esihamba phambili kuyikuswelakala kwamandla kagetsi.
