THE Harare central business district (CBD) was hit by a total power failure for about six hours yesterday, affecting the operations of many businesses while others resorted to using generators.
Report by Staff Reporter
Power went out at around 12 midday and only returned around 6pm, disrupting operations for citywide.
Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira said the problem was a result of a technical problem at one of the power utility’s stations due to obsolete equipment.
“We experienced a technical fault with two transformers at one of our stations that feeds the CBD,” Gwasira said. “Some of our equipment has outlived its lifespan.”
This is not the first time the city has gone for hours without electricity due to technical faults.
Last year, Zesa chief executive officer Josh Chifamba, when justifying tariff increases by the power utility, said the power utility was facing an uphill task as it needed to upgrade its power generation stations and replace old equipment.
According to Chifamba, some of the equipment with a lifespan of 25 years is now over 35 years old. He said Zesa also needed to replace equipment lost to vandalism.
