The Livingstone experience

Source: Mmegi Online
Author: Ryder Gabathuse

LIVINGSTONE, ZAMBIA: So, I shared my ill-fated experience with a friend back home (Mmamokete Molefhe) how incessant power outages were disruptive with their 10-hour blackouts that we experienced. A prompt riposte from Molefhe came in through a WhatsApp conversation: "Sometimes travelling to some of the neighbouring countries could leave you thanking your own country for the good uninterrupted services like electricity and others." "Thank your country!" the messages were duplicated thoughtfully, in case I had missed them. I couldn't agree more in the end.

Power outagesWhat the unremitting power outages meant was that when we arrived at our lodging at Trenchtown Guest House around 18:00 hours from the Summit venue at the plush Avani Hotel with colleague Sunday Standard editor and publisher, Outsa Mokone (and other government officials who were also with us), we were diametrically crippled and could not work after hours as power would only return the next morning at around 04:00 hours or so. Sometimes we would wake up in the wee hours tormented by darkness, which compelled us to use our mobile phones to provide the requisite lighting as we prepared for the inaugural Heads of State Summit, almost daily during our stay. Tuesday morning after one of the longest power outages, I found myself under a cold shower, as I could not attend the Summit without bathing. It was tortuous.