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Freedom Mupanedemo Midlands Bureau

THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company(ZETDC) Midlands region has lost about $300 000 worth of property due to vandalism and theft, the region’s acting manager Engineer Gibzon Kasipo has said.

Eng Kasipo said this has resulted in erratic power supplies that the whole southern region has been experiencing.

There has been prolonged hours of electricity blackout in the province of late with the industry lamenting that the situation was now affecting production.

Eng Kasipo said vandalism of electricity infrastructure was contributing to the power outages being experienced. He said the vandals were targeting transformer oil and coils and this has resulted in some parts of the region going for weeks with no power as the power utility battles to replace the stolen equipment.

“Theft and vandalism of electrical infrastructure has resulted in increased faults leading to frequent and long power outages that some clients perceive to be loadshedding,” said Eng Kasipo.

He said the Southern Region has lost property valued at US$284 000 from vandalism of its infrastructure since January to date.

“We have lost over 30 transformers valued at US$230 980 in the period under review. During the same period, we also lost about 2 206kgs of overhead copper conductor valued at us$44 130 and 1,180 meter of underground copper cables valued at US$9 246. In total we have lost US$284 356 from vandalism of ZESA infrastructure,” he said.

Eng Kasipo appealed to members of the public to also act responsibly and safeguard power utility assets.

He said the ZETDC was also conducting awareness campaigns in a bid to educate members of the public for the need to protect public assets.

“The power utility is appealing for community participation in the protection of electricity infrastructure in the interest of efficient service delivery. In the same vein, ZETDC is inviting whistle blowers to volunteer information that would lead to the arrest of perpetrators of theft and vandalism and a reward would be given in proven cases,” said Eng Kasipo.

Recently, the power utility announced that it had resorted to importing 400megawats from Mozambique and Zambia to try and end the power crisis that has resulted in load shedding.

ZETDC also negotiated for 280MW from Zambia and 180MW from Mozambique, where the country is expected to soon start getting power once outstanding payment for earlier supplies have been cleared.

Zimbabwe’s major power generation facilities are the 1 050MW Kariba South power station, a hydro-electricity plant and the 900MW Hwange Power Station.

Kariba South has of late been facing some challenges.

Government is also working with Zambia on the development of the Batoka Gorge project, which could add 1 200 MW to the grid from generators on the Zimbabwean side.