JUST a few weeks after a house in Kuwadzana Phase 3 burned down, leaving nothing behind due to the intensity of the fire, another house in the same area, just one house away from the first one, caught fire twice in a week due to electrical faults.
This incident caused the owner of the house to faint upon seeing her home in flames, and she now faces health complications.
"My neighbour, when her house burned down, didn't know much about what happened because she fainted and was taken to the hospital.
"She's always complaining about chest pains, and we believe her illness is due to the shock of the unexpected news. These incidents could be prevented if only ZESA (Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority) performed their duties well," said Loreen Mupesa, a resident of Fountain Blue, Kuwadzana Phase 3.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com, James Musokomani said he is still in shock after his home burnt down the very day he had gone for a job search.
"That morning, I went to town to look for a job, then came back and put my Curriculum Vitae (CV) and other certificates on the bed. I left for the shops to buy something to eat, and my wife had also gone to the shops.
"While I was returning home, I received a phone call from my neighbour informing me that my house had caught fire.
"The windowpanes, asbestos sheets, clothes, my certificates, and other important papers were charred in our bedroom. Only a few items were recovered from another room since the fire hadn't spread throughout the whole house.
"We are now pleading with ZESA to bring our transformer, as we are currently using the one from Tynwald, which is not providing enough electricity, resulting in frequent power outages.
"When our house caught fire the second time, we suspect the electricity returned with a power surge, causing a bulb to explode before falling onto the bed, thereby starting a fire in the room at night.
"We were only informed by our neighbours that fire was coming out of the asbestos, and we quickly acted," narrated Musokomani.
His wife told this publication what she could remember as she didn't witness much after collapsing and being hospitalised.
"I received a phone call urging me to rush home when the house started burning. I wasn't at home; I had gone to the shops. When I arrived, everything had been burnt down, including my wardrobe and blankets. Only a few items were removed.
"What really caused the fire is that the electricity comes and goes intermittently. At the time, there was no power usage in the house, and no one was cooking.
"Additionally, ZESA supplies some houses while skipping others due to a shortage of power. We believe that when the electricity returned, it hit our breaker, which was located behind the wardrobe, causing it to catch fire and igniting some blankets.
Musokomani's neighbours also urged ZESA to take action before another tragedy occurs, as a Form 3 student lost her life in a similar incident. They also called for a replacement of untreated wooden electricity poles and transformer.
"We don't know what the people from ZESA want us to do first for them to understand that we need a transformer.
"When we talk about death, it has occurred because of the electricity issues in our area.
"A Form 3 student was once electrocuted when she hung her laundry on the washing line, which was connected to the wall plate of the house and a pole. Just last week, we witnessed two houses burning because of electricity related fires.
Kuwadzana residents said they are now living in fear.
"We now fear living in our houses, and the only way to get a good night's sleep is to switch off all the breakers since ZESA comes and goes unexpectedly.
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"These are the precautions we are taking, and we encourage others to sleep only after switching off the breakers, but not everyone does that," said Joeffery Makore.
Another resident supported Makore's sentiments, "The electricity fluctuates continuously, which causes some appliances to catch fire and leads to houses burning.
"We look forward to ZESA bringing the transformer that we purchased. They give us baseless statements whenever we inquire, and they should also replace these rotten wooden poles," said Blessing Mupesa.
"We urge the government to intervene in this matter. If there are other electricity companies, could they be hired to help us?
"It seems ZESA cannot assist the entire nation. We now sleep in fear at night; we no longer turn off our lights and other appliances because the second time this house burned down, it was due to a light that had popped," said Loreen Mupesa.
