Uneven load-shedding irks residents

SANFROSSA MANYINDA writes@sunzambianSOME residents in Kitwe have appealed for equal hours of load-shedding to in the city and not the schedule which favours some townships.The residents in selected townships complained that some households were experiencing longer hours of load-shedding compared to others.Enraged residents have since questioned the criteria ZESCO uses when rationing power supply in certain areas.“Some households are load-shedded twice everyday in the morning and evening here in Kwacha while some households only experiencing it once and for a few hours. We would love to know the criteria used,” one of the residents Emeldah Chisanga said.Ms Chisanga explained that the households exempted from prolonged hours of load-shedding did not share the same line with either the hospital or other critical institutions but wondered why it was the way it was.She complained that what was happening was segregative and unfair at the same time.A resident of Ndeke Township, Joel Nyirenda, expressed disappointment at the manner in which ZESCO was load-shedding the area.Mr Nyirenda said it was saddening that the power utility company had no proper schedule of load-shedding hours and was not balancing the hours.He said ZESCO was not following the load management, which was published regularly in national newspapers.“It is sad that ZESCO load-sheds us two to three times in a day when others have power the whole day. Why are we experiencing more power cuts more than once in a day?” he wondered.Mr Nyirenda said that by switching power whenever they felt like, ZESCO was placing the economies of the residents under pressure.He said that it was important for the power utility company to pull up its socks and ensure that all the areas were given equal hours of load-shedding unlike favouring others.“Are they expecting all of us to march to their office to demand for a proper schedule and normal hours of load-shedding, this we do not want to do that is why we are calling on the company to pay attention to what it is doing on this particular matter,” he said. The Sun