Tendai Charumbira
Business owners in Mucheke, Masvingo have expressed their displeasure over the power cuts at Sisk business centre that spanned for a week as it negatively affected their businesses, leaving them counting losses.
Businesses that include butcheries as well as bars were affected by the resultant power cuts.
Last Moyo who owns a butchery at Sisk said that he was not able to slice new carcases because there was no power and also they were forced to close their businesses for good as all the meat had gone bad.
“The situation reached crisis level as meat had gone bad and even new carcases could not be sold to people because there was no electricity to slice the meat. We have been forced to close our butchery for good,” said Moyo.
Trymore Tazvishaya who works as a butcher at Chigudu Butchery said that they have closed their butchery in fear of outbreaks of diseases as big flies were already hovering around the area being attracted by rotten meat.
“How can we go for seven consecutive days without power? Now I have closed the butchery in fear of outbreak of diseases,” said Tazvishaya.
Caroline Bundo a resident said they have been heavily affected by the blackout as all their perishables in the fridges went bad.
“The blackout heavily affected us as residents, all the perishable stuff that we had in our fridges has decayed,” said Bundo.
Contacted for comment Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZEDTC) regional manager Jacqueline Hlatshwayo said that they apologise for the delays as the transformer was leaking oil but everything is now under control.