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Blackout in Zanzibar 2 whole days
2008-02-25 08:32:44
By Mwinyi Sadallah, Zanzibar
Zanzibar municipality has been without electricity for two days running, leaving businesses paralysed and horribly disrupting life at the household level.
The power is reported to have gone off just after midnight on Saturday and had not resumed by late yesterday evening.
Isles` Water, Works, Energy and Lands minister Mansour Yusuf Himid has blamed the blackout, which has also adversely affected water supply, on a weekend hitch at Zanzibar Electricity Company (Zeco) Unguja power stations.
``We appeal for patience, understanding and cooperation from the people, as the government and Zeco technicians continue working on the fault so as to restore power as soon as practical,`` he said here yesterday.
Zeco General Manager Juma Isihaq hinted in an interview with The Guardian that, according to their preliminary investigations, it is possible that there was an underground cable disconnection at the Mlandege and Mpendae stations.
He said technicians from the company were `digging deep down’ to check the state of cables at the two stations, adding that it was a delicate task and they might take some time before solving the problem.
Areas hit by the blackout as of yesterday include Chukwani, Mbweni, Kiembesamaki, Mpendae, Jang`ombe, Kikwajuni and the Stone Town, Isles` commercial hub.
The minister explained that the problem had left water supply services hopelessly disjointed because the pumps used in distributing the precious liquid in the municipality need electricity to operate.
``I cannot say for sure when power will be back but Zeco technicians are working as hard as they can to bring the situation back to normal. We will keep the people informed of the latest developments as soon as appropriate,`` he added.
Scores upon scores of residents of the municipality have been seen hunting for water from far-off locations.
Some, particularly at Forodhani flats, have been buying a 20-litre bucket of the item for up to 1,000/-.
Most residents asked whether they saw any link between the blackout and threats by the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) to deny the Isles power supply unless its customers agreed to pay the recently hiked tariffs said they were not quite sure.
Others were convinced that it was all due to a normal technical hitch that would soon be over.
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