Dear Editor,
It is time our power company, GPL gets a shake-up that will bring about much needed changes that are necessary for our country’s future. The much talked about first oil must coincide with supporting efficient performance from GPL in particular. I would not deny that there are many hard working individuals in this company. However the regular blackouts that have been going on for long is indicative of problems that need urgent attention. As soon as the rain sets up and two heavy wind blow, is blackout. It is mind-boggling as to what is the relationship between blackout and the rain. The next point I want to raise is, I have a GPL post near my home that was marked for changing five years ago. Wood-ants ate the post from bottom to the top. See video evidence of GPL post on my Facebook page. I made a report via GPL WhatsApp on the 3rd May 2019. After repeated reporting no less than four times, I was given a reference number (440211). I even made a report also to the Government outreach held at the Leonora Stadium. To this day no one has made any attempt to give us some peace of mind.
Editor, this is an inherent attitude that has been continuously displayed by GPL over time. Sometimes you see wires sparking and may stop one of the passing GPL vehicles or even call in to report it, until the wires burn out resulting in a blackout or other damage, only then the power company personnel will respond. Right on the public road, you see big bundles of bird vine overgrown on many posts. The power company officials would pass weeks, months, and even a year after, with no concern for safety or unsightliness. Today modern electricity standards require using secure methods of joining wires by recommended connectors. Our power company technicians are seen using pliers and twitching two wires, worst of all, not even to wrap a piece of installation tape for safety. Look up on GPL’s posts in Regent Street or anywhere and you see a bundle of unsightly wires. Isn’t there a neater way these wires could be arranged to look better. This is a reflection of the quality of personnel we have in charge of this power company and its operation. GPL uses Wallaba posts for their transmission lines mainly. These posts can be cost effective once they are maintained. A Wallaba post can last as long as 30 years or much longer. All that is required is to ensure water doesn’t lodge at the bottom and that wood-ant treatment is administered when necessary. Editor, almost 8 in every 10 GPL transmission posts are wood ant infested. Who cares! Just pass the high cost of replacement on to the consumer and end of story. A post can twist and fall, tearing away transmission lines or damaging transformers, leaving communities without electricity for days, who cares. This has been the attitude of GPL for the longest while. If we are to truly develop this country, there must be a complete overall of the management of this vital sector.
Yours faithfully,
C. Woolford
