Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company [ZETDC] Says it is failing to execute its mandate due to an acute shortage of vehicles with the current fleet being only 36% of normal requirement.

ZETDC is a subsidiary of Zesa Holdings whose executive chairperson Sydney Gata told parliament last December that the power company required 3000 vehicles to run smoothly.

ZETDC general manager Lovemore Chinaka has confirmed about the issue.

Yesterday Chinaka said   that the Company also faced foreign currency shortage to acquire the requisite materials for electricity generation.

‘’ Most stations are affected and we are relying on assistance from consumers for vehicles. We have a serious shortage of vehicles and are only operating on 36% of the vehicles fleet that we should have,’’ said Chinaka.

Chinaka also added that it is a nationwide challenge that we are facing, some stations do not have anything at all and rely on assistance from clients.

‘’That station does not have transport and we are asking the community to assist us. We are considering the use of concrete poles in certain areas because wooden pole sellers prefer payment in foreign currency which we might not have,’’ Chinaka said.

Meanwhile Mabuthweni and other suburbs in Bulawayo have been in darkness for two weeks after copper cable thieves vandalised power infrastructure.

Zesa acting general manager for the western region Llyod Jaji said Mabuthweni and Njube high –density suburbs were the worst affected.