Loadshedding turns most into night owls.

The effects of loadshedding have now turned most people into nocturnal beings. Electricity is usually available only during the period from 10 pm to 5am. Most Zimbabweans have now woken up to the realization that they have to be active during those few hours if they are to make any use of electricity.

It can be noted that most people have had to do their daily chores such as ironing and baking at night. Come daytime those who do not go to work will be dead beat asleep and snoring. In the low density surbubs where municipal water does not run on taps people rely on boreholes. These boreholes are pumped by electricity. It is therefore those few night time hours that people utilize to store water in large containers for use the next day.

The scarcity of bread has also been to most people cooking their own versions of homemade bread,commonly reffered to as “chimodho”. This requires an oven. It is also during the night time hours that electricity is available that people wake up and cook their bread alas they will have nothing to eat for breakfast in the morning of they do not do so.

Another sad situation is that of students. They have been most affected by the continued power cuts. One student Tinotenda Mberikwazvo from CCOSA college lamented unavailability of electricity during normal hours. He said he has since resorted to waking up at midnight to study and prepare for exams.

The country is experiencing more than ten hours of loadshedding a day. The energy minister alleged that the dip in water levels at Kariba dam has had an impact on the amount of electricity being generated. Furthermore Zimbabwe is battling millions of dollars in debt to Eskom and Zambia.