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Original poster

OMG - could you imagine being on a strict 4hrs electricity supply a DAY for the next 3 months???

20 replies

fannyannie · 09/05/2007 16:05

here

It's bl**dy ridiculous how on earth are people supposed to live?? I don't think I knew anyone out there who had gas appliances (not sure if such a 'service' exists - although you can buy the bottled stuff - at a premium). 4hrs a day of electricity - is crazy.

There are lots of people who work those hours who may not have anyone at home to cook for them so they won't even be getting one hot meal a day (and the majority of Zimbabweans are now living on just 2 meals a day as it is!).

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Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 18:18

stop arguing about who packs your bags at the supermarket, or how you spend you money (bank charges thread ) and make me feel better by being horrified at this with me........

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NoodleStroodle · 09/05/2007 18:19

And the electrcity cuts out in LA in high summer...makes you think

KathyMCMLXXII · 09/05/2007 18:19

I suppose I was imagining that things were already so bad in Zimbabwe that only 4 hours electricity will be the least of their worries

Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 18:24

no all water heating (if they're lucky enough to have a hot water tank) is electric powered - and those that don't have access to that just heat massive pots of water on the (electric) hob to use for washing up/washing etc etc.

Lots of things like milk have very short life spans (sometimes you get it home and discover the milk is already lumpy ) so anything that stays in the fridge (or meat they've bought in bulk to keep in their freezer) will be without 'cooling' for the rest of the time.

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misdee · 09/05/2007 18:24

i could cope with 4 hours leccy a day. but dh couldnt.

Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 18:31

I know Peter couldn't misdee - but I can't imagine having no electricity for most of the day ..........well not if I didn't have my gas supply as well.

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lljkk · 09/05/2007 18:33

Haven't people in Baghdad been getting by on just a few hours of electricity a day for years, now? Even thru the very hot summers, I think.

admylin · 09/05/2007 18:36

I've experienced power cuts when in Pakistan and Bangladesh but with no warning. Once I was under the shower with my hair full of shampoo and all the lights went off so I had to wrap up in towels and sit it out. In Bangladesh it's so hot you nearly die when the air conditioner or fans go off and then all you can do is sit around with a paper fan and a candle - most families sit together to be near a torch or candle and sit talking. It stops everything - one minute everyone is busy some where in the house, power goes off and then everyone stops what they were doing and sit together waiting. Certainly made me appresiate my life of comparitive luxury in Europe.

Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 18:36

I suppose..... doesn't make me feel any better knowing friends and family are not only coping with one of the highest unemployment rates in the world (80%), the highest inflation rate in the world (2200%) and one of the highest HIV rates in the world (estimates of 1 in 4 of the population infected) but now they're going to be lucky to have food in the house that hasn't gone off, and even less chance of getting a decent meal a day .

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Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 18:38

admylin - we used to have powercuts when we were living out there - especially in the rainy season during the thunderstorms - one lightening strike anywhere on your powergrid and that was it -

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ggglimpopo · 09/05/2007 18:46

I still have a sister, an aunt and various cousins and friends in Zimbabwe.

It could be a wonderful, thriving country.

Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 18:51

I know ggg - I was so lucky that I caught then 'end' of the good period - arrived in September '97 and it didn't start going t*ts up until about 1yr later..... (mind you we still had the powercuts then lol).

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admylin · 09/05/2007 18:54

I suppose if you've got to live with it and you at least know for sure when power is on or off you can try and live around it. It's the cuts with no warning that are the worst - like the time I had a cake in the oven, just in for 10 minutes then power cut.

Budababe · 09/05/2007 19:03

Had a fabulous holiday in Zimbabwe about 10 years ago. Stayed with friends in Harare and then travelled around to various lodges/safari camps etc. Had our last few days at our friends tobacco farm.

At the time we thought the country had so much potential. It is such a shame. Mugabe is completely senile/insane and has totally destroyed the country.

NoodleStroodle · 09/05/2007 19:06

Sorry my quip was not flip - I was coming at it more from a green angle - I don't think that it is long before more countris suffer the same.

Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 19:07

I just don't see how people are going to be able to live around it TBH - there's food shortages in the shops - you have to buy when it's there - but if you've got nowhere to store it then it's a waste of time buying it really.

I know my BIL and his wife both work evening shifts - so they won't be able to cook at all as they'll be working at the time (that's if the companies they work for still have electricity......)

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StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 09/05/2007 20:23

When I lived in Uganda we had no electricity for days on end and to be honest it wasn't really a problem.

I don't actually think I owned anything electrical apart from a phone charger. And if I couldn't charge my mobile it wasn't the end of the world.

Cooker/hob was gas. We didn't have anything else that needed electricity.

Certainly no TV, radio, dvd player, computer.

Used to read by torchlight or play cards by candle light in the evening.

StripeyKnickersSpottySocks · 09/05/2007 20:24

But obviouslythe situation in zimbabwe is awful, my aunt and uncle live in Harare

Original poster
fannyannie · 09/05/2007 20:37

stripey - most people DON'T have gas in Zimbabwe - certainly I never met anyone who did. And I bet there wasn't food shortages in the shops which meant you had to buy when it was there or risk getting nothing.

Mind you on a more positive note - I remember playing cards by candle light when we had powercuts out in Zim - was great fun.

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NutterlyUts · 09/05/2007 20:38

fannyannie - I started a thread for you in Chat..

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