The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) last week met energy consumers at Sunningdale Community Hall in Harare to share information on the safe use and efficient use of energy products.
The engagement was held in partnership with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC), the Harare Residents Trust and the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe.
The engagements are premised on offering the residents an opportunity to raise their energy-related concerns and complaints and how such are handled through the “complaints handling procedure.
Eng. Nelia Mupereka bemoaned the loss of lives and limbs due to electrical accidents as a result of disregarding safety advice in handling electrical infrastructure.
Major causes of recorded electricity accidents:
i). Unsafe practices or operations by members of the public constitute the biggest part of the accidents at 40% of the recorded cases.
ii). Some of the attributed malpractices include illegal connections.
iii). Tampering with electrical infrastructure
iv). Overloading of electricity adapters and engaging unqualified and unauthorized personnel for domestic electrical installations.
ZESA has in the past reported that some of the power cuts across the country are being caused by vandalism to its properties including transformers and cables.
Reports of people who died while tampering with ZESA equipment have been on the rise. In some cases, ZESA employees were implicated.