Today, most households in
Zimbabwe go for days or even weeks without electrical power for domestic use. Meanwhile,
load-shedding of electricity has been on-going for the past 10 years. However,
the year 2011 witnessed an increase in load-shedding hours usually plunging the
whole nation into darkness for close to 7 hours per day. It is disheartening
that, at a time when others were busy preparing meals for their end-of-year festive
season, other families in Zimbabwe had a miserable holiday without power to
prepare theirs. The prevailing wet weather conditions also worsened the
circumstances surrounding the unavailability of power. This is because the
availability of firewood, which is now the main source of energy for cooking
and heating, is also curtailed during the rainy season as dry wood runs out.
On the same note, the
unavailability of power has dealt a heavy blow on the economy of Zimbabwe
affecting the country’s industry, farming and commerce. Power disruptions have
forced some companies and banks to shut down temporarily. Farmers have also been without electricity
to operate irrigation equipment at critical growing stages for vital crops such
as wheat. This has resultantly kept the production levels at industries and in
farms very low and unsustainable. A more worrying reality is that, the
lack of consistent power has also affected operations at medical centres,
causing unnecessary deaths and cancellation of critical theatre procedures.
Student studies under candlelight
During community meetings organised
by ALAC in various communities across Zimbabwe, residents bemoaned the poor
service delivery by the sole power utility in the country, Zimbabwe Electricity
Supply Authority (ZESA) especially pertaining to the power cuts and high bills being
charged even when they spend days without power. There were reports of alleged
corruption in the supply chain of electricity from residents who claimed that
some workers from the power utility company demand bribes avoid disconnecting
power from unpaid households. However, grand corruption cases were also cited
in the administration of millions of dollars being surrender to the power
utility every month in terms of electricity bills.
On the other hand, some residents
have expressed concern over the billing method used by ZESA which wrongfully
captures used power and unfairly rips consumers off their hard earned money. What
baffles most minds is that after daily spending most of the time with no
electricity, the bills have become even higher thus leaving residents to allege
that they might be subsidising other people’s electricity usage.
After several fruitless efforts
to engage ZESA authorities to solve their electricity woes residents called on ALAC
to forward their complaints on their behalf but these efforts were also
fruitless as ALAC officers were never accorded an opportunity to present this
issue emanating from community complaints. Towards the end of 2011 most
communities felt that enough was enough and they asked ALAC to help them draft
a petition of complaint against corruption, mismanagement and poor service
delivery by ZESA. This petition is a call for the eradication of corruption and
for the improvement of service delivery by ZESA. It is expected that by
March 2012 more than 3000 people from different suburbs and walks of
life who are affected by this problem will have signed the petition. The
petition will culminate into a demonstration march in the streets of Harare on
transparency and accountability in the supply of electricity whereby citizens
will take to the streets demonstrating against the lack of transparency and
accountability in service delivery.
Harare resident signs petition
The march will see citizens
delivering a signed petition to the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA).
The rise to action by Zimbabwean citizens is an indication of a society which
has been awakened to the meaning of social accountability and is eager to be
directly engaged in monitoring public service delivery through denouncing,
sharing and speaking out corruption tendencies. TIZ through ALAC recognises
that for change to be sustainable, it is essential that it be underpinned by
widespread public support. It is people who must demand and add their voice to
the eradication of corruption. To date, TI-Z has succeeded in fighting and
resisting corruption through individual and collective effort from the
community.
Gweru residents sign petition
No comments:
Post a Comment