zamunda Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 This is just unbelievable!!!!Botswana has been having serious power problems over the past two years. It is getting worse by the day.Three weeks ago we did not have power for three straight days.In between we have are having power outages from 6pm till 9pm every other day.Monday we lost power at 5am and returned 6.30am today (Tuesday). It is now 9.30am (Tuesday) and the power has gone again!!!!Adding to the problem is they don't answer the fault line.We run our business from home and this really SUCKS!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Short&Tall Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Hang on in there!!!One day you will look back at this and smile (or groan maybe)We have not had a power cut all year whereas we were having them for several hours or the odd day every month (nothing like you guys though). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deroche Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Sorry you have to go through that. I know how hectic it is to not have power for a few hours as we also run our business from home.Just look to the future as one day you wont have to worry about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zamunda Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Thanks.This makes it so difficult to get work done, keep the cash flow going, etc. On top of it all, customers complain as if they are not aware of what is going on.Thank God we got our PR. Otherwise I would be a lot more miserable. The most frustrating part is having to endure all this until we move over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yolred Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I feel for you, hope u don't have to endure it much longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicse Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Buy a generator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zamunda Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 Buy a generator.Yes that's the only alternative. But having got our PR and in the process of moving to Oz don't want to spend the money.It is quite crazy.....we have to pay taxes on time, endure huge electricity tariff hikes and still buy and run a generator Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcK Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I thought Bots was one of the better run countries in Africa!! Are you in Gabs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zamunda Posted June 26, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I thought Bots was one of the better run countries in Africa!! Are you in Gabs?Yes we are in Gabs.Sadly there has been a lot of mismanagement over the years and as the saying goes...you reap what you sow.Botswana is certainly much better than some other countries on the continent. But sadly here too they seem to be making the same old mistakes as the others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan83 Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 I live in Sandton... lately we've been on without too many cuts, we have had a few though. The last one lasted 36 hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whynot Posted June 26, 2012 Report Share Posted June 26, 2012 We live just outside of Centurion. First they stole all of the Telkom lines and since there is nothing left, they started stealing power cables. There is almost not a week that goes by without a power cut or water supply interruptions.The only thing that keeps us going is; MIN DAE!! (Counting the days until we leave) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cramer Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I thought Bots was one of the better run countries in Africa!! Are you in Gabs?Don't they get power from South Africa? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcK Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 @ Cramer - they probably do get their power from SA... but if they have not spent money on infrastructure maintenance (and I suspect that is the root cause!?) then the people of Bots suffer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springjock Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Been in Adelaide for nearly 18 months now and not a single power outtage or water supply disruption.My favourite pub ran out of pale ale once, but that's about it............. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnie Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Been in Adelaide for nearly 18 months now and not a single power outtage or water supply disruption.My favourite pub ran out of pale ale once, but that's about it............. :lol: :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zamunda Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 Don't they get power from South Africa?Yes we get power from RSA. But.....(1) ESCOM warned Botswana five years ago that they would reduce supply progressively till 2013. The local utility did nothing until two years ago.(2) The local coal powered plant has been operating at less than 50% capacity for the last 10 years. Why? no one knows.(3) Two years ago they got into a mad scramble to increase capacity at the local power plant but this has been taking a lot more time than expected. (4) three years ago the local utility recorded a loss of R100 million. No maintenance has been done for many years to infrastructure.All in all....poor management!!!The consumer pays the price!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joweni Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 You got to the wrong pub!! :blush-anim-cl: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Springjock Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Erm no, I think I drink too much beer! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zim Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Not meaning to steal anyone's thunder but up here north of the border we have daily cuts of at least 6 hours. Sunday is our 'free' day and we have become so grateful for it! I was just thinking today about how it will be so incredible in aus not to have to cook dinner before 2pm cut off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zamunda Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Not meaning to steal anyone's thunder but up here north of the border we have daily cuts of at least 6 hours. Sunday is our 'free' day and we have become so grateful for it! I was just thinking today about how it will be so incredible in aus not to have to cook dinner before 2pm cut off!Life is truly a compromise living in Africa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bananagirl Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 we live in Mandurah, WA. Recently we had a terrible storm and was out of power for 24 hours. These aussies moaned and complained like you would not believe it! They cleaned their freezers for fear of food that went off.... haha... anyway, The electricity supplier is giving each family $80 to say sorry for the inconvenience! Cool! This was the only incident in the three and a half years we lived here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donovan83 Posted July 2, 2012 Report Share Posted July 2, 2012 we live in Mandurah, WA. Recently we had a terrible storm and was out of power for 24 hours. These aussies moaned and complained like you would not believe it! They cleaned their freezers for fear of food that went off.... haha... anyway, The electricity supplier is giving each family $80 to say sorry for the inconvenience! Cool!This was the only incident in the three and a half years we lived here.Wow. Seriously! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyHaggett Posted July 3, 2012 Report Share Posted July 3, 2012 That really sucks.I remember when we had all those nasty load shedding problems and I had a tiny baby, a teenager and a travelling husband with no support system anywhere in the province !Also thought Botswana was an UP and going places country with a good ecomony and infrastructure - My ex american boss always used to say "Just when you think you might be in a first world country you get reminded that you are in a 3rd world country!"Vasbyt - min dae and have some pale ale :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.