THE full scale of the effects of load shedding hit the
country yesterday, after power cuts reportedly interrupted mobile services
including EcoCash mobile platform disrupting individual and business financial
transactions which could have cost the country hundreds of thousands of
dollars.
The Government estimates that more than 90 percent of
transactions in Zimbabwe at the moment are done through mobile money in which EcoCash
is the biggest player as it dominates that market.
However, the reliance on mobile money transactions nearly
brought the country to a standstill yesterday when mobile networks and related
services went down after power cuts that affected the network in most parts of
the country.
In a statement sent to an online publication, TechZim,
Zimbabwe’s biggest mobile phone operator Econet, said it was facing a challenge
to restore its network after its generators at Network Operations Centre failed
to restart following a power outage.
“Our engineers are busy working to resolve a network fault
that started when generators at our Network Operations Centre failed to
kick-off following a Zesa power outage.
The problem has since been isolated and our technical teams
are working flat out to resolve the issue,” read the statement.
Apart from EcoCash, other services that were also disturbed
included calling services, data or internet services and most applications run
through mobile networks. Last week, mobile operators threatened to shut down
their services during load shedding.
They argued that they could no longer power generators
using diesel which has also become expensive and scarce in the country.
The country is currently facing electricity blackouts of at
least 18 hours a day. During load shedding, mobile operators have to keep
services running using backup power generators which drastically increase the
cost of keeping the network running.
The backup generators use fuel, notably diesel, which is currently
in short supply and expensive.
Sunday News discovered that business in Bulawayo almost
came to a standstill at most retail outlets as transactions using Econet’s
mobile money product, EcoCash was futile. Subscribers of the facility could
also not transfer money to each other while those using Steward Bank cards for
transacting were also grounded. Steward Bank is a subsidiary of Econet.
“We are turning customers away at till points because we
cannot transact through EcoCash. Our sales have been greatly hit and we hope
something will be done soon,” said a sales lady in a retail shop in Bulawayo.
The extent of the hit on retailers could not be immediately
ascertained as efforts to get in touch with industrialists and retail
representatives were fruitless as their mobile phones were not getting through,
due to the communication problems. Others that were affected included motorists
who failed to purchase fuel.
The situation also affected social media enthusiasts with
the popular WhatsApp also being down for most of the day.
The predicament comes as indications have shown that total
power generation in the country has fallen to just 859 Megawatts on Friday,
less than half of the country’s installed capacity of around 2 000 Megawatts.
The challenge was caused by low water levels at Kariba.
According to ZPC, Kariba was only producing 392MW, Hwange
418 MW while smaller power stations Munyati and Bulawayo were producing 16MW
each. Harare was producing 17MW.
The power situation has also affected hundreds of small
business mainly in residential and industrial areas who rely on electricity for
their business.
Sunday News discovered that small enterprises such as
salons and welders, among others have been taken out of business.
“Electricity is only available between 10pm and 4am daily,
so can I shave people at that time? I am now out of business,” said Mr Mlungisi
Tshuma, a barber in Cowdray Park.
Some residents said they hope the situation will not affect
mortuaries. “I don’t want to imagine what will happen to funeral parlours if
this situation is also affecting them.”
Nonetheless, the Government is in the middle of negotiating
with regional power supplies such as Eskom of South Africa for power imports.
Energy and Power development Minister Advocate Fortune
Chasi has been to South Africa to try to unlock new power imports but progress
is being hampered by a huge debt that Zesa owes for previous purchases. Sunday
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