erations on a daily basis and have severely reduced their level of effectiveness in providing services to their customers. Many businesses are affected including butcheries, barbershops and saloons.
Zava, one of the well known business owners in the area, said the situation has also forced them to reduce the price of perishable products in order to limit their losses. This means that they are now operating at a loss instead of making a profit.
Small shop owners are particularly losing customers to the larger supermarkets like OK Bazaars and TM which can afford generating their own electricity during emergency situations. The smaller shops cannot afford purchasing, installing and running electricity generators.
Electricity shortages have also affected health clinics and hospitals in the area. A medical staff member at Polly Clinic, who refused to be named, said that the clinic has had to curtail its services because they do not have access to emergency electricity. Other important organizations which depend on electricity and water to conduct their daily operations include banks and schools. Banks normally encourage their customers to use ATM’s to deposit and withdraw money to avoid unnecessary long queues in the bank. A teller at the Standard Chartered Bank, who refused to be named, said customers now have no other means to conduct their business other than queuing in the bank hall to be served by overworked tellers. .
The electricity and water shortages have also affected some schools in the area. Chiredzi Life Sowing, a privately owned college in the area, has tried to address the electricity shortage problem by installing solar power. Both lecturers and students welcomed the introduction of solar power because it radically reduced the number of interruptions during lessons. A male lecturer at the college, who refused to be named, said everyone in the surrounding area has been affected by the shortage of electricity. Most residents have no other option but to use candles and paraffin stoves. The situation is made worse because residents are still required to pay their monthly bills for the erratic water and electricity supply.
Post published in: News