Maravi

Kazungula district in blackout

COMMENT - If more people were on solar or thermal energy, this wouldn't be happening. The thing about decentralization is that it increases security, whether decentralization is political, economic or energy. With solar panels, people could be earning money by feeding electricity they don't use back into the grid.

Kazungula district in blackout
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Tue 02 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT

KAZUNGULA district has been plunged in a power blackout since last week Friday following a faulty transformer.

According to a resident Boyd Manjabila, Kazungula district has had no power since Friday and there had been no communication from Zesco on the problem apart from speculation that a transformer blew up in the area.

“We are really in problems and a lot of residents have now resorted to buying generators from Botswana. As for the Zambia Revenue Authority they have been really hit hard and they are now referring clearance of trucks and other cross border traders to Livingstone’s port office as they are also in darkness,” he said.

Manjabila said charcoal traders had taken advantage of the situation to hike prices of the commodity.

“Some residents who cannot afford to buy the cheap transformers from Botswana have now resorted to buying charcoal which has also been hiked by the traders who have taken advantage of the situation,” Manjabila said.
Efforts to contact Kazungula District commissioner Mary Mukwiza proved futile as her cell phone was switched off.

Kazungula District becomes the second town to be engulfed in darkness after Nakonde which has had no power for nine days with civic leaders giving the power utility seven days to replace the damaged transformer at the local sub-station.

Labels: BOYD MANJABILA, ENERGY, KAZUNGULA DISTRICT

posted by MrK @ 11:22 AM