Energy Shortage Hits Lesotho Capital Maseru

The Lesotho capital of Maseru has started experiencing power blackouts due to the shortage of electricity supplies from neighboring South Africa’s main electricity supplier, Eskom.

Starting from Monday afternoon, some residential areas of the city went dark for hours, a very rare occurrence in the past in this lovely mountainous kingdom. The problem of power shortage persisted again Tuesday morning, as residents were busy preparing to attend to their daily businesses only to see another blackout hitting them.

The development prompted the Lesotho Electricity Company (LEC) Tuesday morning to advise consumers that the power failures will continue in various residential areas of the capital city, including Mabote, Motimposo, Borokhoaneng, Maqalika, Khubetsoana, Seoli and Tsoapo-le-bolila.

LEC said the blackouts were prompted by Eskom’s power shortage, which started a few weeks ago. It, however, advised energy users to remain calm as the matter was being dealt with by the power authorities.

Three weeks ago, LEC assured electricity consumers in the city that despite the low supply of electricity from South Africa, Lesotho would not be adversely affected by the development, except in Qacha’s nek area, 350 km south of Maseru, where supply comes directly from South Africa.

South Africa is also experiencing a power shortage, and this has compelled it to put in place load shedding measures, providing alternate cutting of power in certain areas at a given time.

South Africa’s neighbors Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe have also been affected by the power shortages.

Source African Press Agency

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