Several neighborhoods in the city of Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, have been without electricity since the early afternoon of Sunday 16 August. The power cut mainly affects customers of Virunga Énergies, which supplies the majority of households in the city. However, some residents supplied by the National Electricity Company (SNEL) continue to have power.
On Avenue Osso II, in the Mabanga-Nord neighborhood of the Karisimbi commune, a small crowd gathered at 7 pm on Sunday outside a mobile phone charging point. Some customers were waiting to collect their devices, whilst others had come to charge their phones. The charge for a smartphone is set at 500 Congolese francs and 1,000 for a power bank.
This unusual rush comes after several hours without electricity.
“We’ve had no power since this morning. Usually, the company lets us know before a cut, but today it was sudden,” laments Nicole Kahambu, a local resident.
For professionals whose work depends on electricity, the consequences are immediate. Jonas Kitambala, a journalist with a local TV channel, says he had to cancel a report because he had no power to run his equipment. “We haven’t been able to work since this morning. My camera has now run out of power. This isn’t normal,” he complains.
At the Bingombe entrance, in a hairdressing salon, the atmosphere is just as quiet. Customers who had come to have their hair done eventually had to go home after waiting for several hours.
“We thought it was a communication issue. We believed the power would be back on around 4 or 5 pm. Now it’s 7 pm and we’ve had to go home,” explains Jurès Kasereka.
Small businesses are also being affected. Dieumerci Musafiri, a hairdresser, says he fears a significant drop in his takings, whilst he has to meet regular expenses. “My earnings vary between 10,000 and 20,000 Congolese francs every weekend. That allows me to hand over the takings and pay my commission. Now, I don’t know how I’m going to manage,” he laments.
In small grocery shops, the situation is also a cause for concern, particularly for products that need to be kept chilled. “I sell milk and frozen goods, amongst other things. Today, I’ve had to close early. There are no customers, and I’m also worried that some products might go off,” explains Kakule Bailanda, who runs a small grocery shop.
In several neighborhoods, some residents with solar panels are trying to cope with the power cut by using their systems to charge mobile phones and power a few appliances. Bars and other small businesses that usually operate in the evenings are also running at a reduced pace.
This power cut is therefore disrupting several economic activities and services that rely on electricity. Those affected say they are particularly frustrated by the lack of information regarding the cause of the cut and the timeframe for restoration.
As yet, Virunga Énergies has not issued any official explanation regarding the cause of this power cut or the timeframe for restoration. Customers are still awaiting clarification from the company.
Written by Victoire Katembo Mbuto
