By Fanuel Chinowaita and Godwin Sithole
Manicaland – 21 January – 2025 – Residents of Zimunya, Chigodora, and nearby areas are demanding answers from ZESA and ZINWA over a month-long electricity and water outage that has disrupted homes and businesses.
Speaking to The Wasu Post, frustrated residents accused the two entities of failing to resolve the crisis with urgency.
Ms. Susan Mupita, seen washing clothes at a nearby river, lamented the lack of progress from ZESA. “They told us powerlines fell due to heavy rains, but how can fixing them take close to a month? This shows they don’t value us. It’s not the first time this has happened during the rainy season,” she said.
She also criticized ZINWA for failing to provide water despite residents paying their dues. “ZINWA hides behind ZESA, yet when there’s power, they still fail to supply water. Why don’t they have solar systems or generators for such situations?”
Business owners have been hit particularly hard, with one businessman revealing the extent of their losses. “We’ve thrown away perishables like milk and meat. Running a generator for 12 hours daily isn’t viable, and installing solar systems requires a huge capital investment,” he said.
Adding to their woes, the businessman said they face pressure from council and ZIMRA for dues while their operations remain crippled.
Efforts to reach ZESA’s Eastern Region General Manager, Engineer Milton Munodawafa, were unsuccessful. However, a ZESA representative at Park Road Station stated that engineers are “working flat out” to restore Line 33, which has affected areas like Vumba, Chigodora, and Zimunya.
An anonymous ZINWA official blamed the water outages on the lack of electricity, saying generators are too costly to operate.
Residents now demand immediate solutions, as the prolonged crisis continues to disrupt daily life and livelihoods in the region.