Yet Another 'Invention' from TANESCO: Now Power Cuts Up To 10 P.m.

President Kikwete in a sombre mood

The Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (TANESCO) yesterday announced an even 'grievous' loadshedding than the one that has been in place for months on end now. Homes and industries will see the advent of the new (what's new about the whole shebang!) rationing schedule as from tomorrow 20th November.

Among other things, the rationing schedule stipulates that loadshedding will run up to 10pm instead of the usual 6pm. This has been occasioned by:
i) The closure of dams (Mtera dam being one of them) due to drought. These dams were used for the generation of electricity.

ii) One of the 'kingpin' generators is out of kilter thus destabilizing the national power grid.

iii) The government being duped into buying an aeroplane's engine to serve as generators. Whether the government had a hand in this is still to come to the fore.

iv) Corruption in high places (TANESCO would never accede to this). How else would you explain the government's involvement with a company that has no physical address in the USA. The self-same company was not registered. The company was to deliver equipment to the government for the generation of electricity.
This rings closer home. It reminds me of the dubious Anglo Leasing deals that soiled the Kenyan government's hands!

Anyway, the 6am to 10pm power rationing will have serious economic ramifications (of course this is an obvious result given the situation!). With the Tanzania shilling plummeting, then the implications of this new development on the shilling could be combined to make a horror movie that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Please make sure your seat has strong legs or else...

Questions are doing their rounds in the heads of Tanzanians. They are asking: "Why didn't our esteemed government not do anything about the 'umeme' thing before things got out of hand. They knew things would turn out this way, or didn't they?"

However, others, instead of asking questions, are jumping to conclusions at the speed of lightning. With contorted faces, angry guttural voices and creased shirts and trousers (thanx to 'mgao wa umeme') they quip: "Maybe this is the Kasi Mpya, Nguvu Mpya and Ari Mpya that President Kikwete has brought onto the scene. If this is the tip of the iceberg, how, then, does the whole iceberg look like?"

Tougher Times Doing an Advent on Tanzanian Soil.