Zimbabwe in internet blackout

Zimbabwe in internet blackout

By GETRUDE GUMEDE
Published: October 1, 2009


ZIMBABWE – BULAWAYO – Online business in the country was on Tuesday and Wednesday been brought to a standstill after an Internet connection blackout on Powertel optic fibre connections outside Harare.

Powertel, a subsidiary of Zesa’s Zimbabwe Power Company, runs a network of optic fibre cables that link to major Internet service providers.

Powertel’s sales and marketing officer Vimbai Gwenzi said the fault was caused by vandalism on an optic fibre cable in Harare linking the capital to other parts of the country on Tuesday.

“Powertel engineers are working flat out to resolve the problem. As for now we are not so sure of the nature of the damage and the total amount required to repair the damages. We urge our customers to bear with us in this difficult time,” said Gwenzi.

Some clients failed to access money from their bank accounts because their computers are linked to servers in Harare by the Powertel optic fibre cable.

“I came here on Monday morning and they told me that I should change my bank account to US dollars. When I went back to collect my money after changing my account I was told to come tomorrow (Tuesday) and when I returned the internet was down and up to now I have not accessed my money,” said an FBC client.-The Zimbabwe Telegraph